Iran-Russia relations

From Imam Khomeini’s letter to the collapse of the Soviet Union

When Mikhail Gorbachev, Head of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, received Imam Khomeini’s letter from the Imam’s chosen delegation party, he turned to them and said: “Although the people of the Soviet Union and Iran are followers of different schools of thought, this does not prevent us from cooperating with each other based on our common principles and traditions.” On January the 4th 1989, when Eduard Shevardnadze, the Soviet foreign minister, traveled to Iran after his visit to Iraq and delivered Gorbachev’s official response to Imam Khomeini, he was also instructed to talk about bilateral relations.

Gorbachev and Imam Khomeini

Gorbachev: “I’m sorry! I should have listened to Imam’s message”

In 1999, on the anniversary of the death of Imam Khomeini’s demise, in an interview with the IRIB News Agency in Moscow, Gorbachev regretted ignoring the Imam’s warnings three years before the collapse of the Soviet Union and said: “I think Imam Khomeini’s message addressed all the ages throughout history.” He also added: “When I received this message, I felt the person who wrote it was thoughtful and cared about the situation of the world. By studying the letter, I realized that he was someone who was worried about the world and wanted me to understand more about the Islamic revolution.”

Hajj message

Imam Khomeini's Hajj message and the philosophy behind it

In an interview with Ayatollah Taskhiri, chairman of the International Forum for Proximity of Islamic Denominations, the hajj messages issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution were discussed. Due to the long day Iranian pilgrims had to endure on their way to Saudi Arabia, certain negotiations took place between the officials of the two countries in order to coordinate the times and delays. Ayatollah Taskhiri was a member of the Iranian delegation which was sent to Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Saudi officials.

The Imam's Background

Imam from 1941-1961

The attack on Faydhiah School

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