US-Iran tensions put Moscow-Tehran ties under spotlight as CIA chief John Ratcliffe visits Russia
This will be the first time the spy chief of the US is visiting Russia since William Burns, Ratcliffe's predecessor, held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin back in 2021.
US-Iran tensions have brought Moscow-Tehran ties into the spotlight following CIA chief John Ratcliffe's visit to Russia. Reports suggest that Ratcliffe, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was spotted at an airport in Moscow and a US diplomatic motorcade was seen in the city. Neither the US nor the Russian government has officially confirmed the visit, which would mark Ratcliffe's first trip to Russia since 2021.
This visit comes amid heightened US intelligence indications that Russia is seeking to escalate tensions with NATO countries. The CIA chief's trip may also focus on Iran, as the US has warned countries to sever trade ties with Iran or face secondary sanctions. Iran has supplied Russia with drones for the Ukraine war, leading to accusations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia has denied these claims and offered to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
