Why is Putin not helping ally Iran? His reply
What's the story
Russian President Vladimir Putin has clarified why his country is not intervening in the conflict between Iran and the United States. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, he said that Moscow is trying to remain neutral due to a large Russian-speaking population in Israel. "I would like to draw your attention to the fact that almost two million people from the former Soviet Union and Russian Federation reside in Israel," he said.
Criticism response
Putin dismisses critics who questioned Russia's loyalty to its allies
Putin also dismissed critics who questioned Russia's loyalty to its allies, calling them "provocateurs." Moscow and Tehran have had close ties for decades. He stressed that Russia has had friendly relations with Arab and Islamic countries for a long time, pointing out that Muslims make up 15% of Russia's population.
Conflict escalation
US airstrikes target Iran's military sites
The comments came after Russia's archrival, the US, carried out Operation Midnight Hammer, targeting three of Iran's key military sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—over the weekend. President Donald Trump called the airstrikes a "spectacular military success," claiming that major nuclear facilities were "completely obliterated." In response to these attacks, Iran launched missiles at Israel. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the country won't return to peace talks until it has retaliated first and accused the US and Israel of derailing negotiations.
Peace talks
Iran won't return to peace talks
Earlier, Putin had offered to mediate a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel, but Trump rejected the offer. Trump stated that he told Putin to remain focused on resolving his own situation with Ukraine. Speaking to journalists, Putin acknowledged that "it's a delicate issue" but "in my view, a solution could be found." When asked how Russia would react if Israel killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin said, "I don't even want to discuss such a possibility."