US President Donald Trump wrote in a message on the social network Truth Social on Sunday, 18 October 2026, that Russia is not helping the Islamic Republic much in the current war, compared with what it could do, and that he wants this to continue. The remarks came a few hours before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's trip to Tehran.
Trump described his decision on Russia as "very simple" and said that one of the reasons he is refraining from a step that might push Moscow away from the Ukraine peace talks is precisely that Russia is not giving significant help to the Iranian government. According to him, this will continue unless people foolishly disrupt it.
Russia, Ukraine and the war with the Islamic Republic
The US president added that he is negotiating to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and does not want to push Moscow out of the talks; according to him, signing a document at this stage could drive Russia out of the process, and he can sign it whenever he wants. A few days ago Trump had issued an order suspending, before they took effect, a significant part of the new sanctions and tariffs against Russia and the buyers of its oil and gas. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright also said on Sunday that this is a suspension, not a lifting of sanctions.
Trump's message came as Sergey Lavrov travels to Tehran on Monday, 19 October, to meet Abbas Araghchi, a trip that follows the moment when the Gulf Cooperation Council states, at the Manama summit, asked Moscow to rein in the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said in a television interview on Sunday that Russia's cooperation with the Islamic Republic runs completely counter to Israel's interests, and that Israel will protest to Russian officials about it.
Background of cooperation between Moscow and Tehran
In recent years, by selling Shahed drones to Russia for the war in Ukraine, the Islamic Republic became one of Moscow's military partners, but in the current war with the United States and Israel there has been no sign of extensive Russian military aid to Tehran. Trump's remarks came after he warned that if the Islamic Republic does not change course, the United States will finish the job.
Trump says Russia keeping its distance from the Islamic Republic is one of the reasons for his leniency toward Moscow.
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