U.S. concerned about reports of Iran Quds chief’s visit to Russia

The head of Iran’s elite military Quds Force, who is subject to a United Nations travel ban, has met senior Russian officials in Moscow, an Iranian official said on Friday. Ghasem Soleimani, chief of the force which is an overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guards, has been subject to an international travel ban and asset freeze by the U.N. Security Council since 2007. But the Iranian official said Soleimani had made the trip in the second half of July, where he had held talks covering regional and bilateral issues and the delivery to Iran of S-300 surface-to-air missiles and other weapons.

These are very concerning reports but we are still tracking down the facts.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power

A Kremlin spokesman denied any meeting between Soleimani and Putin had taken place, RIA news agency reported. However, two U.S. security sources told Reuters the United States believed the meeting between Putin and Soleimani took place. Both Russia and Iran back Syrian President Bashar Assad against rebels in the country’s civil war. Indications of a new diplomatic push to end the war have emerged following last month’s signing of an accord on Iran’s nuclear program between Tehran and world powers.