Iran's President Raisi meets Putin in Moscow to discuss Gaza "genocide" and trade ties

Iranian President Raisi condemns Israel's assault on Gaza as "genocide" and a "crime against humanity" during his meeting with Russian President Putin in Moscow. Putin, who has positioned Russia as a potential mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has cast the conflict as a failure of US diplomacy. The Gaza conflict has also allowed Russia to divert attention from the war in Ukraine and align itself with other developing countries in solidarity with the Palestinians. The visit comes as Russia and Iran strengthen their military-technical cooperation, raising concerns from the US about advanced ballistic missiles potentially being provided to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.