The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, held a phone conversation on Friday, January 16, where they discussed the situation in the Middle East and Iran. According to statements, Russia offered to assist Israel in mediating issues related to Iran and supports “intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to ensure stability and security in the region”.
The discussion took place in the context where the American President Donald Trump postponed making a decision regarding a possible attack on Iran. Following the conversation with Netanyahu, the Russian president contacted his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian by phone, reported the Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, for the Russian press.
“Russia continues to offer this assistance not only to Iran but to the entire region and to the cause of regional stability and peace, including through the president’s efforts to facilitate de-escalation of tensions,” Peskov stated.
The Kremlin mentioned that Pezeshkian informed Putin about the measures taken to normalize the internal situation in Iran. Both sides emphasized the need to quickly reduce tensions and to solve problems “exclusively through political and diplomatic means”.
“The two sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthen the Russian-Iranian strategic partnership and to implement joint economic projects in various fields in practice,” the Kremlin’s statement reads.
The situation in Iran remains critical following the protests that broke out at the end of December, triggered by dissatisfaction with the economic situation. Tehran accused Israel and the United States of orchestrating the protests. American President Donald Trump warned that he would intervene militarily if the protests were suppressed by force, and the Iranian parliament declared that, in the event of an attack, Israel and American bases in the region would be legitimate targets.