Russia has agreed to assist US President Donald Trump’s administration in engaging with its ally, Iran, on its nuclear program and regional activities.
According to Bloomberg, citing sources in Moscow familiar with the matter, Trump personally raised the issue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a phone call in February, and top US officials followed up with Russian counterparts at talks in Saudi Arabia days later.
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Neither Russia nor Iran has publicly confirmed the report. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg: “Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations” and said that Moscow “is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, when asked about potential Russian mediation, said: “Given the significance of these matters, it’s possible that many parties will show goodwill and readiness to help with various problems.”
Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz reposted on X on March 2 a message criticizing Democratic leaders for previously using Russia as an intermediary with Iran:
“Reminder: the Biden Administration used the Russians as intermediaries to negotiate with the murderous Iran Regime. Iran is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers and violence across the Middle East. Hypocrisy and partisan pearl-clutching on the part of Democrats.”
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Since taking office, Trump has worked to restore US-Russia relations, severed after Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
His Feb. 12 call with Putin signaled an effort to broker an end to that war, while also exploring cooperation on broader geopolitical issues, including trade routes and Arctic resources, Bloomberg reported.
During a Feb. 18 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Washington’s interest in Moscow facilitating talks with Iran, according to Bloomberg sources.
Lavrov later briefed Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the US discussions, Araghchi confirmed in a televised press conference.
Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has sent conflicting messages on Iran. While vowing to reinstate his “maximum pressure” policy – including sanctions and targeting Iran’s security forces – he also pledged to work on a “verified nuclear peace agreement.”
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have strengthened ties, with Moscow using Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine.
However, Tehran remains wary of US overtures. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently stated that Trump “can’t be trusted” after pulling the US out of the Obama-era nuclear deal.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, has echoed Khamenei’s stance, saying he supports rejecting talks as long as Washington continues sanctions.
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