January 18, Tehran. (DPRK ISG Information Bureau – RSTV)   

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Comrade Sergey Nikolaevich Baburin, President of the International Association of Peace Funds (IAPF) and Vice President of the DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG), has successfully concluded a series of high-level working meetings and public events in the Islamic Republic of Iran, held from December 28, 2025, to January 2, 2026.

The key moments were widely covered by Iranian and international media, including the authoritative newspaper "Ettela'at", Iranian state television, the Tasnim News Agency, and the official website of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The visit, dedicated to memorial events honouring the heroic figure of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, a fearless fighter against American imperialism and Zionism, served as a powerful platform for consolidating strategic dialogue in the common struggle for sovereignty, independence and international solidarity.

Upon arrival in Tehran on December 28, Comrade Baburin immediately immersed himself in a dense schedule.

The central event of the initial stage was his participation on December 29 in the International Conference "In Memory of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani: Diplomacy and Resistance," organized by the Institute of Political and International Studies of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The conference was attended by prominent diplomats, public figures and scholars from Iran, Lebanon and Azerbaijan, united by a common anti-imperialist agenda. Of particular significance were the speeches of Ms. Zeinab Soleimani, the daughter of the slain general, and Comrade Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who highlighted the continuity of the struggle against external aggression. During the conference, Comrade Baburin had the honour of meeting with Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the successor to General Soleimani's cause of resistance.

It was at this conference that Comrade Baburin delivered his principal address on the topic "Martyr General Qasem Soleimani as a Symbol of a Hero Fighting World Evil".

In his speech, he emphasized that for him, as an Orthodox Christian, Soleimani is dear and his memory is sacred precisely because he became a global symbol of selfless and successful struggle against the evil of American hegemonism and its proxies. The speech highlighted Soleimani's decisive contribution to the fight against Zionism, the defeat of ISIS – a tool of Western imperialism – in Iraq and Syria in 2013-2019, and the establishment of strategic cooperation between Iran, Russia and Syria as a cornerstone of anti-imperialist resistance in the Middle East.

Notably, Comrade Ozgur Bursali, General Secretary of the Turkish political party "Vatan" ("Motherland"), speaking after Comrade Baburin, emphasized that Crimea is part of Russia and that President Vladimir Putin is acting correctly in Ukraine, resisting NATO expansionism.

The working program of the visit also included events related to the high state award presented to Comrade Baburin. As previously reported, on December 17 in Tehran, during the first ceremony of the World Prize named after Imam Khomeini, Comrade Sergey Baburin, President of the International Association of Peace Funds, was awarded Iran's highest award for upholding traditional spiritual, moral and religious values in the face of Western cultural degradation and hegemonistic pressure. He was the only non-Muslim among the laureates, symbolizing the unity of all traditional civilizations against liberal-globalist dictates. The award was presented by Comrade Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the following days, Comrade Baburin conducted an extensive series of meetings with Iranian media and the academic community, consistently promoting the ideas of a multipolar world and condemning the destabilizing policies of the United States.

On December 30, he visited the editorial office of one of Iran's oldest and most authoritative daily newspapers, "Ettela'at," for a substantive conversation with Comrade Hojjat al-Islam Abdolreza Izadpanah, its Editor-in-Chief and Director, about the role of independent media in countering imperialist propaganda. That same day, he gave an extensive 40-minute interview on Iranian television, discussing contemporary Iran, the strategic Russian-Iranian partnership as a pillar of regional stability, the pernicious nature of Zionism and the significant influence of the Zionist lobby in shaping aggressive US policy; the program was subsequently rebroadcast multiple times.

On December 31, Comrade Baburin met with students and professors at the Faculty of Arts and Media, where he explained Russia's principled position in supporting Iran against illegal American sanctions and reaffirmed President Vladimir Putin's unwavering commitment to expanding cooperation in the name of breaking the unipolar diktat. Throughout this period, he gave several interviews and press conferences for leading Iranian media outlets, consistently calling for the consolidation of all forces opposing neocolonialism.

The culmination of the visit was Comrade Baburin's participation in the national memorial rally-concert held on the evening of January 1 in the large hall of the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani and all martyrs of the anti-imperialist struggle. The event was attended by about 20,000 people. The high honour bestowed upon the Russian guest was underscored by the fact that only three persons delivered speeches at this solemn gathering: Comrade Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Ms. Zeinab Soleimani, daughter of the general; and Comrade Sergey Baburin, President of the IAPF and Vice President of the DPRK ISG.

In his speech from the high platform, Comrade Baburin addressed the audience, stating:

"Dear brothers and sisters! I am a Russian man, an Orthodox Christian. Who is General Qasem Soleimani to me? I know that he was a student and follower of Imam Khomeini and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that he heroically defended the Islamic Republic of Iran, defended Islam and the right of Palestinians to have their own state with its capital in Jerusalem. But I know, I am convinced, that Q. Soleimani is more than a hero. For both Muslims and Christians, he has become a symbol of resolute resistance to World Evil, resistance not defensive but offensive, a symbol of victories over the Evil embodied by American hegemonism."

He detailed Soleimani's key role in defeating ISIS and preserving Syrian statehood against Western plots, as well as his efforts in organizing military cooperation between Russia, Iran and Syria, condemned the cowardly assassination of the general as a typical act of American state terrorism, and called for continued unity between Muslims and Christians in the global fight against Zionism and imperialism. His speech was met with a standing ovation, and after descending from the stage, Zeinab Soleimani personally thanked him for his words.

Comrade Sergey Baburin departed from Tehran on the night of January 2 and has now returned to Moscow. Summarizing the results of the visit, he noted the genuine and profound interest in cooperation with Russia across wide circles of Iranian society as part of a broader civilizational alliance against unipolar domination and emphasized the importance of not losing this positive momentum.

He also strongly condemned the hypocritical policy of the United States and its allies, which, through their controlled media, attempt to discredit the internal situation in independent states like Iran. These manipulative reports about alleged "mass unrest" are nothing more than a cover for Washington's brazen interference, which funds extremist elements and NGOs in a futile attempt to impose its hegemony on progressive peoples who have chosen the path of sovereignty and justice.

The working visit of Comrade Sergey Baburin, President of the IAPF and Vice President of the DPRK ISG, to Iran became a vivid example of effective anti-imperialist solidarity and made a significant contribution to strengthening mutual understanding and strategic partnership between the patriotic forces of Russia, Iran and all nations fighting for the establishment of a new, just and multipolar world order free from diktat and aggression.