Kremlin says Putin’s proposals on Iran war remain on the table as Russia offers mediation
Moscow reaffirms readiness to help reduce tensions after Putin shares settlement ideas with Trump in phone call, while US presses for progress on Ukraine
MOSCOW — March 10, 2026 — Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered various options to mediate in the Iran conflict and these proposals remain on the table, the Kremlin said Tuesday, as Moscow positions itself as a potential broker in the escalating war between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance .
“From the very beginning of this situation, even before the military phase began, President Putin has proposed various options for our mediation and good offices that could help reduce tensions. Many of these proposals are still on the table,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters .
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Peskov was speaking a day after Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump and, according to the Kremlin, shared proposals aimed at ending the war in Iran quickly . The Kremlin spokesman declined to elaborate on the content of the proposals .
“Russia is ready to assist to the best of its ability and will be happy to do so, but you know that this requires multiple understandings and multiple agreements, so we’ll have to be a little patient,” Peskov said .
Putin-Trump phone call details emerge
The telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on Monday focused heavily on the situation surrounding Iran as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the Ukraine conflict, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov .
Ushakov told reporters that Putin “expressed several thoughts aimed at a quick political and diplomatic end to the Iranian conflict, including contacts that have taken place with leaders of Gulf states, the president of Iran and leaders of other countries” . The discussion was initiated by Trump and lasted approximately one hour .
Putin called for a “quick political and diplomatic settlement” to the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has been a key Russian ally, and “positively evaluated the mediation efforts undertaken” by Trump in the Ukraine conflict .
Trump, for his part, told reporters on Monday that Putin “wants to be helpful” with the Iran conflict, but he said he told the Kremlin leader that “You could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with” .
Ushakov described the conversation as “very substantial” and said it would “likely have practical significance for further work between the two countries” . He added that the two presidents also discussed the situation in Venezuela in the context of global oil markets .
Russia’s balancing act
Russia, which has a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, has condemned the war that the US and Israel launched against the Islamic Republic on February 28 . As a major energy exporter, it has, however, benefited from the resulting boost to oil prices, which have surged past $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022 .
Putin extended greetings to Mojtaba Khamenei following his appointment as Iran’s new supreme leader, pledging Russia’s support for Iran amid the ongoing conflict . “At time when Iran is confronting armed aggression. I am confident that you will honourably continue the cause of your father and rally the Iranian people. I wish to reaffirm our unwavering support for Tehran,” Putin was cited as saying .
Despite the rhetorical support, Iran has not requested military aid from Russia since the conflict began, Peskov confirmed last week . “In this case, there have been no requests from the Iranian side,” the Kremlin spokesman told reporters, including AFP . He added that Tehran sought only political support from Moscow .
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow had still not seen any evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons, which he described as the “main, if not the only, justification for the war” . Lavrov warned that the conflict could prompt not only Iran but also its Arab neighbors to seek to acquire nuclear weapons .
Intelligence concerns and diplomatic channels
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said at the weekend he had asked Russia not to supply intelligence to Iran, after the Washington Post reported that Moscow was providing Tehran with targeting data to help it attack US forces in the Middle East .
Peskov said Russia was not commenting on such reports and declined to say if the issue had come up during the Putin-Trump call . Asked about Witkoff’s statement, he said: “I can only say that Steve Witkoff is indeed in constant contact with his Russian interlocutors, and this channel of communication does allow them to convey signals to each other on the most sensitive issues” .
Energy diplomacy amid global crisis
The diplomatic engagement comes as the Iran war has triggered a global energy crisis, with oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel and the Strait of Hormuz—through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass—facing disruption .
Putin warned that oil production dependent on transport through the Strait of Hormuz could soon come to a halt . “We will continue to supply energy resources to countries that are reliable partners. Russian companies need to take advantage of the current situation,” Putin said at a televised meeting with government officials and the heads of Russia’s leading oil and gas producers .
The Russian president also signaled readiness to resume energy cooperation with Europe, provided European nations demonstrate commitment to stable partnership . “We’re ready to work with Europeans, but we need some signals from them that they’re ready and willing to work with us and will ensure this sustainability and stability,” Putin said .
Ukraine dimension remains central
Throughout the discussions, Trump has consistently linked progress on Iran to developments in Ukraine. The US president reportedly used the call to press for a reciprocal gesture, telling the Russian leader that he could be most “helpful” by bringing the four-year-old war in Ukraine to a definitive end .
Ushakov noted that Russian gains on the battlefield should prompt Kyiv’s negotiators to move toward a settlement . “Russian troops advancing quite successfully. This, as was noted, is a factor that should prompt the regime in Kyiv to finally go down the path of negotiating a settlement to the conflict,” he said .
Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to securing a long-term settlement between Russia and Ukraine following the prolonged conflict, with Ushakov adding that Putin thanked Trump for his administration’s mediation efforts .
Background and context
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran on February 28, striking major Iranian cities including Tehran . The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran . As a result of the strikes, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior figures in the leadership of the Islamic Republic were killed .
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel as well as US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia .
The conflict has now entered its second week with no signs of de-escalation, as international diplomatic efforts intensify amid growing concerns about global economic stability.
The Kremlin’s reaffirmation that Putin’s mediation proposals remain on the table signals Russia’s desire to play a significant role in resolving the Iran conflict, leveraging its strategic partnership with Tehran while maintaining communication channels with Washington. The Putin-Trump phone call represents a crucial moment of direct high-level communication between the two leaders as the war threatens to destabilize the global economy.
With oil prices soaring past $100 per barrel and G7 nations preparing potential measures to address the energy crisis, Moscow’s position as a major energy exporter gives it additional leverage. However, Trump’s insistence on linking progress on Iran to developments in Ukraine suggests that any diplomatic breakthrough will require addressing multiple interconnected conflicts simultaneously.
As the war enters its tenth day with no end in sight, the world watches whether Russia’s mediation efforts can gain traction or whether the conflict will continue to escalate with far-reaching consequences for global stability.
SOURCES / INPUTS
Al Arabiya: Kremlin says Putin’s proposals on Iran are still on the table
Reuters: Putin shares proposals to end Iran war quickly
The Hindu: Kremlin says Putin’s proposals on Iran
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