Putin's mediation proposals on Iran conflict still stand, says Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered different options to mediate in the Iran conflict and these proposals are still on the table, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. 

"From the very beginning of this situation, even before the military phase began, President Putin has proposed various options for our mediation and good offices that could help reduce tensions. Many of these proposals are still on the table," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 

"Russia is ready to assist to the best of its ability and will be happy to do so, but you know that this requires multiple understandings and multiple agreements, so we'll have to be a little patient." 

 

Peskov was speaking a day after Putin spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump and, according to the Kremlin, shared proposals aimed at ending the war in Iran quickly. 

Peskov declined to elaborate on the content of the proposals. 

Trump, for his part, told reporters on Monday that Putin "wants to be helpful" with the Iran conflict, but he said he told the Kremlin leader that "You could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with." Russia, which has a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, has condemned the war that the US and Israel launched against the Islamic Republic on February 28. As a major energy exporter, it has, however, benefited from the resulting boost to oil prices. 

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said at the weekend he had asked Russia not to supply intelligence to Iran, after the Washington Post said Moscow was providing Tehran with targeting data to help it attack US forces in the Middle East. 

Peskov said Russia was not commenting on such reports, and declined to say if the issue had come up during the Putin-Trump call. 

Asked about Witkoff's statement, he said: "I can only say that Steve Witkoff is indeed in constant contact with his Russian interlocutors, and this channel of communication does allow them to convey signals to each other on the most sensitive issues."