Russia has agreed to assist US President Donald Trump's administration in establishing communication channels with Iran regarding nuclear issues and regional proxies, Bloomberg reported. The request came directly from Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a February phone call, according to sources familiar with the situation.
White House officials have not responded to Bloomberg's request for comment on the matter. The reported discussions took place during high-level meetings between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia following the leaders' February 12 phone conversation, Bloomberg stated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg that "Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations" and that Moscow "is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this." Neither Russia nor Iran have publicly confirmed or denied the request, according to Bloomberg.
When asked about potential Russian mediation, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said during a Monday press conference that it was "natural" for countries to offer assistance. "Given the significance of these matters, it's possible that many parties will show good will and readiness to help with various problems," Baghaei stated, as reported by Bloomberg.
The outreach comes approximately six weeks into Trump's second administration, during which he has worked to restore relations with Russia that were severed following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Both nations appear interested in cooperating on various geopolitical interests, including Arctic resources and trade routes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly discussed Washington's interest in Moscow's assistance with Iranian issues during a February 18 meeting in Riyadh. Lavrov later shared details about this meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks in Tehran.
The Trump administration has presented conflicting approaches toward Iran since returning to the White House. While pledging to reinstate "maximum pressure" policies from his first term, including sanctions against Iranian security forces, Trump has simultaneously expressed interest in immediately working toward a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran.
As fellow targets of US sanctions, Russia and Iran have strengthened their cooperation on trade, energy, and security matters in recent years, including Iran's supply of drones for Russia's war against Ukraine. However, Tehran's receptiveness to US engagement through Russian channels remains uncertain.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly stated Trump cannot be trusted after withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear agreement during his first term. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, despite personally supporting revival of the nuclear deal, has backed Khamenei's opposition to talks while US sanctions remain in place.
"Both the United States and Iran are trying to find channels of communication, productive ones which would mark the start of a dialogue," said Associate Professor Nikolay Kozhanov from Qatar University's Gulf Studies Center. He added that any understanding between the nations would be "complex," requiring US sanctions relief and Iranian agreement to contain regional ambitions.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog reported Monday that the US and Iran should begin talks, noting it was engaged in high-level discussions with the White House on the matter. This follows last week's warning that Tehran's stockpile of near-bomb-grade fissile material has increased more than 50% since Trump's election.
Iranian officials face mounting pressure to deliver economic relief to a population struggling with severe cost-of-living challenges exacerbated by US sanctions implemented under both Trump and Biden administrations. Simultaneously, Iran remains engaged in ongoing conflicts with Israel, having vowed to continue supporting its regional allies despite Israel's military campaigns against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
