U.S. President Donald Trump has sought Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assistance in facilitating talks with Iran regarding its nuclear programme and regional influence, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources in Moscow.
According to the report, Trump proposed the idea of Moscow acting as a mediator in nuclear talks with Iran during a phone conversation with Putin on February 12.
This was followed by a February 18 meeting in Saudi Arabia between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, where Washington’s interest in Russia’s diplomatic role with Tehran was further discussed.
Lavrov’s Iran Trip
A week after these discussions, Lavrov travelled to Tehran, where he reportedly briefed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on his talks with Washington, Bloomberg reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasised Moscow’s willingness to assist in de-escalating tensions, saying, “The United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations. [Russia] is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this.”
‘Maximum Pressure’ On Iran
Since taking office in January, Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” strategy on Iran, intensifying sanctions while simultaneously advocating for renewed negotiations.
Despite these efforts, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has refused any engagement with Washington, a position that the country’s moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed to uphold.
Russia-Iran Ties
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have strengthened their ties in response to Western sanctions—Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and Tehran over its nuclear ambitions. Russia has also deployed Iranian drones in Ukraine and expanded military cooperation with Iran.
It remains uncertain whether Iran would be open to any U.S. diplomatic outreach via Russia, Bloomberg noted.
The report surfaced shortly after Reuters, citing travel records, revealed that seven Russian missile experts with high-ranking military backgrounds visited Iran between April and September 2024 for undisclosed purposes.
Although Iran asserts that its nuclear programme is strictly for peaceful purposes, Western nations remain concerned that it may be pursuing nuclear weapons development.
