Putin Discusses Iran With US Envoy Steve Witkoff, Offers Moscow’s Help To Resolve Conflict

ST. PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday and offered Moscow’s help, shortly after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Tehran as Russia seeks a role in efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.

Putin, meeting Witkoff at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, said Russia has a special, trust-based relationship with Iran developed over decades and would be pleased to take any steps to help resolve the crisis.

“And if there is anything we can do to resolve this crisis, then we will be happy to do it,” Putin said, according to RIA Novosti.

 He said Russia’s proposals were well known and expressed interest in hearing the US assessment of the situation in West Asia and issues concerning Iran. The Kremlin later said Putin told Witkoff it was possible and necessary to get a deal with Tehran.

 The meeting was the ninth in-person meeting between Witkoff and Putin. It lasted nearly three hours and was also attended by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was expected to join via video link.

 Witkoff briefed Putin on his talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, which he described as productive and showing “some degree of momentum.”

Besides Iran, the talks covered prospects for restoring US-Russia economic ties, including Russian diesel and fertiliser supplies to the US, and a possible resumption of trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

 The diplomacy comes as Russia and China have pushed to be included in any settlement over Iran, with both countries last month vetoing a US proposal for UN experts to keep monitoring sanctions on Iran.