Iran FM expresses support to Russian leadership after Wagner mutiny
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The two diplomats also discussed several topics relating to bilateral and global matters.
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A Wagner PMC T-80 BV tank in the streets of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023 (Social Media)
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Saturday, during which the latter expressed support to Russia's leadership in safeguarding constitutional order.
"The Iranian side expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to ensure constitutional order," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Saturday statement.
The two diplomats also discussed several topics relating to bilateral and global matters.
🔽 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov have discussed bilateral ties and also the latest developments in parts of Russia over the phone. pic.twitter.com/25Zt4wV9Jg
— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) June 24, 2023
This comes after two days of heightened tensions which nearly saw the outbreak of a civil war in Russia.
The country's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Friday said it opened a criminal case against the head of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) Yevgeny Prigozhin for inciting armed mutiny.
On Saturday, Prigozhin agreed to de-escalate the situation after he accepted a proposal from Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to move to Belarus.
Prigozhin later confirmed that PMC Wagner is turning its troop columns back and moving back to its field camps.
"Understanding all responsibility that Russian blood from one of the sides could be spilled, we are turning our columns back and moving to the opposite direction to field camps in accordance with plans," he announced in an audio statement released on his Telegram channel.
On Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the case against Prigozhin would be closed and he would leave for Belarus under guarantees given by Putin.
As for members of the Wagner PMC who partook in Saturday's events, they would not be prosecuted given their contributions to Russia's special military operations in Ukraine, Perskov added.
Read more: To 'avoid bloodshed', Wagner chief agrees to Minsk offer to deescalate
Others who have expressed support for the Russian leadership include Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who said that the Russian government and people are facing a moment of challenge to the character, identity, wisdom, and strength of Russia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday held a special meeting with key figures in the Occupation's leadership to discuss the situation in Russia. During the meeting, he said that the Wagner incident was something that exclusively pertains to Russia's domestic affairs but that "Israel" will continue to monitor the situation.
