Iran leader wants Putin to ditch dollar to Isolate US

Tehran: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei told visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Tehran and Moscow must step up cooperation to isolate the United States and help stabilise the Middle East.

"Our cooperation can isolate America ... The failure of U.S.-backed terrorists in Syria cannot be denied but Americans continue their plots," Sayed Khamenei told Putin, according to state television.

Russian president who arrived in Tehran earlier along with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, met Iranian political leaders in an effort to nurture a warming relationship strengthened since US President Donald Trump threatened recently to abandon the international nuclear deal with Iran reached in 2015.

During the meeting which lasted one hour, Iran's Supreme leader told Vladimir Putin that Iran and Russia could neutralize US sanctions by ditching dollar in bilateral and multilateral trade and using their national currencies instead. He said Iran and Russia should further develop cooperation particularly in economy, saying the economic capacities of the two countries are well beyond the current level.

On the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Ayatollah pointed to the Russian president's emphasis on the need for compliance with any multilateral agreement and criticized the US for adopting a "rebellious" approach in this regard.

Iranian leader also hailed Iran-Russia cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Syria, saying the defeat of the US-led coalition in the Arab country is "an undeniable reality."

Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran-Russia cooperation in battling terrorism backed by certain countries has had important outcomes, making Russia an "influential" player in the developments of West Asia. 

Iranian leader noted that the Syrian people are the ultimate decision-makers regarding their country's issues.

He noted that all issues pertaining to the Damascus government should be solved based on intra-Syrian efforts, and the Syrian government should not be "pressured" into implementing "any plans," which he said need to be as "comprehensive" as possible.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for regional countries to resolve their issues without any foreign interference, saying "Americans seek to interfere in all issues of the region and the world."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader pointed to Saudi's crimes committed on a daily basis in Yemen and warned that the war could result in Riyadh getting entangled in other deeper crises.

'Iran a strategic partner'

The Russian president, for his part, described Iran as "a strategic partner" and a "great neighbor," stressing that he would welcome any potential to fully bolster and expand bilateral relations.

Putin said Iran and Russia could boost their ties in the sectors of energy, modern technology, agriculture as well as joint oil and gas projects.     

Broaching the war in Syria, Putin hailed the achievements of the Iran-Russia cooperation in the war against terrorism, calling for "a suitable political process to be considered in the Arab country."

Lauding the Leader's stance on achieving shared objectives in Syria as wise and very effective, the Russian president said, "We proved to the world that we are able to resolve our region's highly important issues without [any help from] extra-regional countries."

On the Iran nuclear deal, Putin said that Russia "opposed any unilateral change in the multilateral deal." 

He also said that Russia was against linking Iran's nuclear program with other issues, including those related to the country's defensive capabilities.