Iranians Renew Rumpus Over Raisi Kremlin Reception

Vladimir Putin’s warm reception of the Argentinian president recently was in stark contrast to the way Kremlin treated Iran's president, many Iranians say.

Photos and videos emerged Thursday of Alberto Fernandez being warmly embraced by Putin, who sat very close to the Argentinian president in contrast to his greeting Raisi, a cleric, from a distance before the two men sat at opposite ends of a long table. This led to social-media comments claiming confirmation that Putin had not shown the respect due to the Iranian president.

Critics widely shared photos and videos of the two meetings alongside each other on various social media platforms on Friday and commented that they proved earlier claims that Putin had not shown due respect to the Iranian President.

Morteza Kazemian, journalist, told Iran International TV Friday that Putin’s reception of Fernandez proved that Raisi's treatment had been “out of the ordinary.” Clearly this showed the Russian president considered Raisi "a second-rate official” and "an executive officer" of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Kazemian opined.

The Putin-Raisi January 21 meeting fed speculation over the table’s placement – for some as an intentional act to imply "distance" – over Putin apparently chewing gum, and over the absence of the two countries’ flags in the hall. A video released by Russian media after the visit apparently showed Raisi leaving the Kremlin without being seen off by Russian officials.

A conservative journalist, Mohammad Mohahjeri, called for Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's resignation for failing to ensure that diplomatic protocols had been observed. The arrangements were "disgraceful," he said.

Various officials, government media, politicians, and Friday imams disagreed, insisting that Raisi had been respectfully received. They praised Raisi for praying in the Kremlin, a building seen for decades under Communism as the bastion of world atheism, and rejected criticism of Raisi’s government's efforts to expand relations with Russia and China in the face of continuing US ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions.

Some argued that Putin had kept a ‘social distance’ because Raisi had refused to abide by Covid protocols required by the Kremlin, including vaccination with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and being tested before the meeting. They also said this was a "working visit" which did not require the ceremonial display of flags.

Fars news agency said the whole show, including the placement of the table, conformed with diplomatic protocols and suggested that Putin had been so impressed with the Iranian president that he fidgeted with his tie.