Russian President Vladimir Putin will do his best to defuse tension in the Middle East after Iran attacked its neighbours, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
Mr Putin will convey to Iran the deep concerns among Arab leaders about strikes on oil infrastructure in the region, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov announced.
“Putin will certainly make every effort to facilitate at least a minor easing of tension,” Mr Peskov said. Russian agency Interfax reported he was answering a question on whether Mr Putin's conversations with the leaders of several countries on Monday regarding the situation on Iran could be considered as mediation.
The press secretary said the Russian President discussed conveying Arab nations' “deep concern regarding the strikes on their infrastructure” with his allies in Iran, taking advantage of the dialogue that Russia maintains with the Iranian leadership, Interfax said.
On Monday, Mr Putin held telephone conversations with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, Bahrain's King Hamad, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
UAE state news agency Wam reported that Sheikh Mohamed had received a phone call from Mr Putin, during which they “discussed the blatant Iranian attacks targeting the territory of the UAE and several Arab countries, as well as the serious security and military developments in the region, and their impact on regional and international peace and stability”.
During the call, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Putin called for an immediate halt to the military escalation to avoid any widening of the conflict, emphasising the importance of prioritising dialogue and diplomacy in addressing issues.
On Tuesday, Mr Putin spoke to Hungary’s President Viktor Orban about the escalation in the Middle East.
