Iran is ramping up its efforts to secure a ceasefire as quickly as possible, aiming to recover from the blows it has sustained. To that end, it is continuing to reach out to world leaders and the UN seeking mediation and assistance. Russia has now joined the diplomatic push, following a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. On Sunday, Israel Hayom revealed that Putin had warned Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that his regime was at risk of collapse, urging him to expedite negotiations by any means necessary.
Putin is expected to offer his own ceasefire proposal, one that would also involve restarting talks on Iran's nuclear program. Russia would play a central role in this arrangement, particularly regarding the storage of Iran's enriched uranium, as well as in providing technical and technological support for the implementation of any agreements.
Iran in a weaker position
All current diplomatic contacts link the ceasefire directly to nuclear negotiations. However, Iran's position is now significantly weaker than before. Trump's United States, led by the tough-talking businessman, intends to exploit this vulnerability to extract concessions in future talks.
Two days ago, Israel Hayom reported that the US had responded to Iranian mediation overtures by insisting that Tehran show greater flexibility on uranium enrichment on its own soil, the core point of contention. Israel, for its part, wants the nuclear discussions with the US to include not only strict international oversight of Iran's enrichment facilities but also limits on ballistic missiles and a binding Iranian commitment to stop arming terrorist organizations. These would be considered opening conditions for both resuming talks and halting Israeli strikes.
A US official told Israel Hayom that all these issues are on the table and were discussed, among other instances, during a conversation between Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The official did not rule out the possibility that negotiations could resume even if Israeli strikes continue, but emphasized that at this stage Iran is not open to that. "What they want more than anything is a ceasefire," the official said. "It may take a few more days of strikes and eliminations to bring them to agree to the conditions the United States is seeking."
The official also noted that while the American and Israeli positions are generally aligned, there are nuances between them. He added that the White House is receiving ongoing outreach from world leaders about the war, including Putin's call. According to the official, Trump's remarks following that conversation, drawing a parallel between the war in Ukraine and the one between Israel and Iran, should be noted carefully.
Can Russia be trusted?
Israel, for its part, is understandably skeptical about whether Russia can be trusted. Moscow remains a close ally of the Islamist regime in Tehran and is bound to it by strategic agreements. However, in the past, Russia has managed to maintain red lines even in its relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad, delaying the delivery of advanced air defense systems, for example, which could have hampered Israeli Air Force operations.
An intriguing Russian angle emerged in reports from opposition-affiliated Iranian media outlets, which are not always reliable. According to these, families of senior regime officials have been flown to safe havens in Russia. One report even claimed that Khamenei himself explored the option of fleeing to Russia if necessary. While these reports remain unverified, Russia does have a track record of sheltering former allied leaders, such as Assad and his family.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose relationship with Tehran swings between cooperation and rivalry, also joined the diplomatic fray. He contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and said he was willing to help mediate an immediate end to the war with Israel and a return to nuclear talks. Turkey, which has been drawing closer to the US, would welcome a diminished Iranian role in the region, but is equally wary of an overly decisive Israeli victory.
Not directly involved, but approving plans
Despite the various diplomatic channels being pursued, the most effective and rapid routes are those directly involving Witkoff and his team speaking with Iran's deputy foreign minister, or through intermediaries in Oman and Qatar. All regional actors - Erdogan, Putin, senior officials in Qatar and Oman - are looking to the US and President Trump in particular, as the only figure capable of convincing Israel to halt its strikes on Iran.
Trump has hinted at these overtures, saying that "many talks" are underway to end the conflict, but also stressed that "the US is not currently involved in the war" and would only consider engagement if its interests were attacked.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has officially denied Israel Hayom's reports, as well as a statement by the president of Cyprus, who said he relayed messages through intermediaries to Israel urging an immediate ceasefire. Nevertheless, Arab diplomatic sources confirm that additional such overtures have been made, even through Arab states with diplomatic ties to Israel, reinforcing the demand for a mutual ceasefire.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources also confirmed that during recent talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump, the topic of targeted assassinations of senior Iranian officials was discussed. According to these sources, there were no disagreements between the two leaders on this issue, contrary to reports from the previous day suggesting that Trump had opposed the killing of a top Iranian leader.
