The unannounced visit comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington

President Vladimir Putin welcomed Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to the Kremlin on Friday in an unannounced high-level meeting.

Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was appointed to his post last August. He previously visited Moscow in the summer following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The head of state has received in the Kremlin the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Larijani, who is visiting Russia," the Kremlin said in a brief statement, without disclosing details of the talks.

Iran's ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, later stated the meeting focused on "bilateral relations" and involved "consultations on important regional and international issues."

The visit follows Washington's imposition of sanctions on Larijani earlier this month over his alleged involvement in the "violent repression" of anti-government protests that have swept Iran since late December.

Tehran has framed the unrest, which began over economic grievances, as a foreign-backed insurrection, alleging that external agents armed rioters to provoke a harsh state response and justify American intervention. Putin held aphone callwith his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, earlier this month to discuss the unrest and reaffirm strong bilateral ties.

At the height of the protests, US President Donald Trump reportedly came close to ordering punitive strikes against Iran. While he hasdelayeda final decision, he has dispatched a naval "armada" to the region to pressure Tehran into accepting his demands for a new nuclear deal.

US military planning remains active. Media reports cite administration sources saying Trump is considering options ranging from strikes on Iranian security forces and nuclear sites to targeting officials - with the aim of reigniting anti-government protests.

Following Trump's threat of a "far worse" attack than previous US strikes, Tehran vowed to "defend itself and respond like never before." With both sides planning military drills in the region, warnings against provocation and miscalculation continue to escalate.

(RT.com)