MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russia hopes the Strait of Hormuz will reopen and sanctions on Iran will be lifted, a goal Tehran is rightly pursuing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in response to a question from an Iranian representative at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club.

"We hope the strait will reopen and sanctions on Iran will be lifted, something Tehran is rightly seeking. Then there will be no need to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or through the other waterway (the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – TASS), where the Houthis control the coast. We support this," Putin said.

The president also stressed that Russia opposes all forms of aggression and favors resolving every issue peacefully. "The events in Ukraine also constitute aggression by the collective West against Russia, carried out by the Ukrainian nationalist regime," Putin added.