The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the US President, Donald Trump, discussed the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel and the war in Ukraine, reported the Associated Press (AP).
In a 50-minute call on Saturday, both leaders stressed the importance of ending the ongoing escalation in the Middle East that could have unpredictable consequences for the entire region.
Lengthy Call
On a post on Truth Social, Trump confirmed that he and the Russian leader held a lengthy phone call, most of which was dedicated to discussing the situation in the Middle East in light of the recent escalation between Iran and Israel.
“President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well,” Trump said.
“We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps – large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides. The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” he added.
Russian Confirmation
On his part, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed the call between Putin and Trump. He said that the Russian President briefed his US counterpart on his recent discussions with Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ushakov also said that Putin reaffirmed Russia’s proposal to pursue mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue, conveying his condemnation of the Israeli attack on Iran. “Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,” Ushakov told reporters.
Russian Mediation Efforts
The Russian President expressed his concern over the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which threatens “unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East,” according to Ushakov.
In the light of this, Putin reiterated Russia’s readiness to facilitate mediation efforts between both sides, noting that Moscow had presented steps that aim to “find mutually acceptable agreements” during the US-Iran talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
Russia also expressed its willingness to mediate in the conflict during a phone call between the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, earlier on Saturday. “Russia confirmed its readiness to continue to contribute to the efforts to resolve the situation regarding Iran’s nuclear program and to de-escalate the conflict between Iran and Israel,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The call followed an earlier one between Putin and Pezeshkian, during which Moscow condemned Israel’s use of force against Iran, which violated the UN Charter and international law.
US-Iran Talks
Both Putin and Trump supported the return to negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program, according to Ushakov who added that “Russia’s principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged.” He also said that the US President described the regional situation as “very alarming.”
The US and Iran were supposed to hold the sixth round of nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday. However, Israel’s surprise attack on Iran, which took place early on Friday and prompted Tehran to respond, has disrupted plans. As a result, the Omani Foreign Minister confirmed on Saturday that the talks would not take place, after Iranian officials called them “meaningless.”
Following Israel’s attack on Iran, Trump urged Tehran to make a deal before things get worse. “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” he wrote on Truth Social, warning that Israel’s planned attacks could be “even more brutal.”
