Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Moscow will "do everything" to help end the United States-led war on Iran, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday. The two leaders met in Turkmenistan ahead of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of former Soviet nations.
"You know our position. On our part, we are ready to do everything we can to help you resolve this situation," Putin was quoted by Interfax as telling Pezeshkian. Putin said Iran was making real efforts to end the conflict, which broke out "through no fault of its own," and noted what he called a "positive evolution" in Russia-Iran relations.
In a call on Wednesday, Putin told Pezeshkian that Moscow was prepared to mediate efforts to end the war in the Middle East, according to Iran's IRNA news agency. The pair also met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan last month.
Both countries are under heavy Western sanctions and have reinforced diplomatic and military ties. Last year, Moscow and Tehran signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty covering trade, military cooperation, science, culture and education. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Iran of supplying Russia with Shahed drones and short-range missiles for use in the Ukraine war. Russia has also been accused of supplying data to Iran for its attacks on US targets in the Middle East.
The meeting came as Iran-US talks stand at an apparent impasse. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US will not launch an attack on Iran before the November 3 midterm congressional elections, saying the two countries are holding "productive" talks about ending the ongoing war. Diplomatic efforts to resolve Russia's offensive in Ukraine also appear deadlocked, even as both sides intensify attacks.