Putin Offers to Mediate Iran–Israel War; Trump Snubs “Do Russia First” Proposition

Putin Offers to Mediate Iran–Israel War: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Wednesday (June 18) warned the United States against offering direct military aid to Israel or even speculating about such actions. In remarks to Interfax, Ryabkov said, “We caution Washington against even speculative, hypothetical options of this kind. It would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation.”

He emphasised Russia’s active diplomatic engagement, stating, “We are in contact with both sides. This is happening at the working level and at the political level.”

“It’s a delicate issue,” Putin acknowledged, “but in my view, a solution could be found.

Putin said Moscow had already shared mediation proposals with Iran, Israel, and the United States, and emphasized Russia’s historical involvement in Iran’s civilian nuclear program, including the construction of the Bushehr nuclear plant.

But Putin’s pitch drew a pointed response from US President Donald Trump, who revealed on Wednesday that he pushed back on the idea during a phone call with the Russian leader last weekend.

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“I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own,’” Trump recounted. “I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.”

"He (Trump) was speaking figuratively. Life is so eventful right now that looking back a few days is like looking back to yesterday," Peskov told the Russian state news agency TASS

Trump and the Kremlin both previously said on Saturday that the two leaders had spoken that day, with the US president saying Putin had called to wish him a happy 79th birthday.

Later on Wednesday, Trump said a change in Iran's government "could happen," and also indicated that negotiations could be on the horizon, without giving details.

"They want to meet, they want to come to the White House -- I may do that," Trump told reporters.

Asked how Russia would react if Israel kills Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin refused to answer, saying that “I don’t even want to discuss such a possibility.”

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Khamenei has rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage to them.”

Putin said he shared Moscow’s proposals with Iran, Israel, and the United States.

“We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel,” he said.

When questioned about Russia’s airstrikes in Ukraine, particularly as Moscow continues to criticise Israeli strikes on Iran, Putin defended the operations. “The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters,” he said.

However, AP reporters recently documented civilian casualties in Kyiv, where 28 people died after a missile hit a nine-storey apartment building.

Putin vowed to achieve Russia’s goal of “demilitarising” Ukraine, either through negotiation or military action. “If we fail to reach a settlement, we will achieve our goals by military means,” he said.

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