Russian President Putin calls Netanyahu, Pezeshkian to discuss Iran crisis

Moscow, Jan 16 (PTI) President Vladimir Putin on Friday dialled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the crisis situation in West Asia amid threats of a US strike on Tehran.

Putin called for stability and security in the region to be ensured through diplomatic means, expressing Russia’s readiness to mediate in this dialogue, a Russian government press release said.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The situation in the Middle East and Iran were discussed," it said.

   During their telephone conversation, Putin and Pezeshkian called for the speedy normalisation of the situation around Iran and the region as a whole.

  “The two leaders noted that Russia and Iran consistently take a united position in favour of the earliest possible de-escalation of tensions around Iran and in the region as a whole. They also expressed their commitment to resolving emerging issues exclusively through political and diplomatic means,” it added.

  According to the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the situation in Iran and West Asia in general is “extremely tense, the president continues his efforts to encourage de-escalation”.

  Russian news agency TASS reported that US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff outlined Washington's demands for Tehran to achieve a diplomatic solution.    "I hope a diplomatic solution will be found. There are four issues: nuclear enrichment, missiles—they need to reduce their arsenals—the actual nuclear material they have, about 2 tons, enriched to 3.67-60 per cent, and, of course, proxies," TASS quoted Witkoff speaking at a conference organised by the Israeli-American Council in Florida.    "If they want to return to the international community, we can resolve these four issues diplomatically, and that would be wonderful. The alternative, I think, is bad," Witkoff added. PTI VS RD RD RD