Russian President Vladimir Putin has reached out to both Iranian and Israeli leaders to offer mediation aimed at stopping the ongoing conflict. According to Reuters, Putin spoke to Iranian Vice President Masoud Pezeshkian and strongly condemned Israel’s recent actions against Tehran.
Putin expressed condolences for those killed in the Israeli strikes and criticized Israel’s actions as violations of the United Nations Charter. He emphasized that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to resolve issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.
In a separate call, Putin spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He urged Netanyahu to return to diplomatic talks and stressed that all concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities must be addressed through political and diplomatic means only.
A statement from the Kremlin said Russia will maintain close contact with both Iran and Israel to help de-escalate tensions. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the rising tensions and called Israel’s attacks “unprovoked.” He added that these strikes hurt ongoing Western diplomatic efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program peacefully.
The Russian government’s move signals an attempt to calm the growing crisis in the Middle East through dialogue and negotiation.