MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for an immediate halt to war involving, Iran, US and Israel, expressing solidarity with Tehran over what the Kremlin described as “armed Israeli-American aggression.”
In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin offered condolences to the Iranian leader on the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of his family, as well as senior political and military figures.
“Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s principled stance in favour of an immediate cessation of hostilities,” the Kremlin stated. It added that the Russian leader stressed the importance of rejecting the use of force to resolve issues related to Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East, and called for a swift return to diplomatic solutions.
The Russian president noted that he remains in constant contact with the leaders of member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
In response, President Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people. He also briefed the Russian President on the latest developments in the conflict, the Kremlin added.
Neighbours will no longer be targeted
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran would not target neighbouring countries unless attacks against the country originated from their territory during the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
“The interim leadership council agreed yesterday that no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast on state television.
Unconditional surrender
The statement followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who demanded Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” and suggested Washington should play a role in determining Iran’s next leader. His comments came after Pezeshkian hinted on social media that several countries had begun mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” he added.
