Russian President Vladimir Putin has reached out to Iran’s leader, Masoud Pezeshkian, offering Moscow’s support to ease tensions in the Middle East after diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington broke down.
According to the Kremlin, the call took place on Sunday, with Putin reiterating Russia’s willingness to play a mediating role in the crisis.
“Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Kremlin said in its readout of the conversation, as reported by AFP.
The outreach followed the abrupt end of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, where the entire American delegation pulled out after failing to secure progress.
A US official confirmed that no members of the team remained in Islamabad to continue back-channel discussions, signalling a complete collapse of the talks.
The delegation reportedly included chief negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who left after extended sessions produced no breakthrough on the dispute involving Iran.
Speaking during a stopover at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, an official travelling with Vice President JD Vance confirmed that all negotiators had departed, despite earlier indications that some might stay behind to continue discussions.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, criticised Washington’s approach, saying it failed to inspire confidence during the negotiations.
“My colleagues in the Iranian delegation put forward constructive initiatives, but the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation,” he wrote in a post on X.