Russian President ​Vladimir Putin held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg on Monday and said he hoped the Iranian people would weather what he described ‌as a "difficult period," and that peace would soon prevail.

"For our part, we will ‌do everything that serves your interests and the interests of ​all the peoples of the region to ensure that peace is achieved as quickly as possible," Putin told Araghchi, according to Russian state media.

"Last week, I received a message from Iran's supreme leader. I would like to ask you to convey my most sincere thanks for this and to ​confirm that Russia, ​like Iran, intends to continue our ‌strategic relationship," Putin said.

Araghchi said relations between Russia and Iran would continue to strengthen and thanked Putin for Moscow's support, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

(With input from Reuters)