Putin Offers Mediation as Iran–Israel–US Tensions Rise, Pitches Negotiations in Call With Trump

New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help negotiate and reduce the escalating conflict, according to the Kremlin. Russia’s proposal was also conveyed to Donald Trump during a recent phone call, officials said.

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia is willing to assist in easing tensions in the Middle East, but stressed that cooperation among multiple parties would be essential.

"President Putin, from the very beginning of this story, before the start of the combat phase, offered various options for our mediation and our services that could help reduce tensions," Peskov told reporters. 

“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 spokesperson 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 also said that Putin conveyed his proposals regarding a possible settlement involving Iran during a phone call with Trump on Monday, though he did not provide further details about the proposals.

Trump Dialled Putin After War Escalation

The Kremlin informed Trump called Putin on Monday in what was the first telephone conversation between the two leaders this year. The discussion covered the war involving Iran, the military situation in Ukraine and developments in global energy markets.

"I had a very good call with President Putin," Trump told a press conference at his Florida golf club, adding that Putin wanted to be helpful on Iran.

“I said, 'You could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with. That will be more helpful.'”

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov described the conversation as "very substantial" and said it was "likely to have practical significance for further work between the two countries".

Ushakov added that Trump believed it was in the US interest to see a "rapid end to the conflict in Ukraine with a ceasefire and a long-term settlement".

War Sparks Global Energy Concerns

The phone call came hours after Putin warned that the US-Israeli war on Iran had triggered a global energy crisis and could affect oil supplies.

The conflict has already pushed oil prices sharply higher, with the biggest spike since the turmoil that followed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Gulf producers have reduced output after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.

Putin said Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter and holder of its biggest natural gas reserves, is ready to work again with European customers if they want to return to long-term cooperation.

US Weighs Easing Some Russia Oil Sanctions

Amid the disruptions to global energy markets, the Trump administration is considering reducing oil sanctions on Russia to boost supply. According to sources familiar with the planning, the move could include broader sanctions relief or targeted options that would allow certain countries, such as India, to buy Russian oil without fear of US penalties, including tariffs.

Last week, the United States also allowed India to temporarily purchase Russian crude oil already on tankers at sea to help manage cuts to Middle East supply. Peskov said the issue of lifting oil sanctions "did not appear in any detail" during the conversation between Trump and Putin.

He also confirmed that no specific dates have been set yet for the next round of trilateral peace talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine.