After negotiations between Iran and the United States for a peace agreement ended unsuccessfully last Saturday (11), Russian leader Vladimir Putin called Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian president, to make Russia available in the search for an understanding. The conversation took place after a 21-hour cycle of discussions that did not result in consensus.
Moscow’s position, transmitted through the Kremlin and published by the Interfax agency, reinforces the country’s willingness to collaborate with the stability of the Middle East.
The Russian government, which previously harshly criticized the Americans over Khamenei’s death and the February attacks, is now trying to become one of the mediators.
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“Vladimir Putin emphasized his willingness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” said the Kremlin statement.
Pezeshkian confirmed the contact, detailing that the balance of recent negotiations and the ceasefire scenario were the central themes of the dialogue with the Russian ally. Currently, Pakistan leads the role of official host and intermediary, also counting on China’s parallel coordination behind the scenes.
Deadlock in negotiations
The delegations left Pakistani soil this morning without a date for a new meeting. US Vice President JD Vance declared that the absence of an agreement hurts Iran more than his country.
“We’ve made it very clear what our boundaries are, what we’re willing to compromise on and what we’re not. We’ve made it as clear as possible, and they’ve chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said.
On the Iranian side, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who presides over parliament, showed caution when commenting on the American stance via social media, but did not close the doors to dialogue.
“My colleagues presented promising initiatives, but in the end, the opposing side was unable to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said. He added: “America has understood our logic and our principles. Now, it is time to decide whether it can earn our trust.”
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Friction
Although the Strait of Hormuz remains the main obstacle to a more positive end to the war, the Iranian Foreign Ministry sees progress in other areas. Esmail Baqaei, spokesperson for the ministry, reflected on the complexity of the process.
“Naturally, we were not expected to reach an agreement in a single session. We will continue working to bring together the views of Americans and Iranians,” he told Iran’s state TV.
Tehran gave a positive signal to a ten-point plan suggested by Pakistan, which envisages Iranian military coordination in the Strait of Hormuz. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conditioned the truce on the end of bombings in Iran and proposed unprecedented taxation for ships crossing the region.
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In the regional field, tension persists. Iran points to Israel’s violations in Lebanon, while Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu maintain that the ceasefire does not cover Hezbollah. Despite this, a direct meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives is expected to take place next week in Washington, although Netanyahu emphasizes that, at the moment, there is no official suspension of hostilities.
