Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the situation in the Middle East and Iran by phone on Friday.
According to a statement by the Kremlin, cited by Reuters, Putin offered Netanyahu Russia’s help in mediating regarding Iran, and told the Israeli leader he was “in favour of intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to ensure stability and security in the region.”
Putin later also spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Russian President will continue efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region.
The phone calls from Putin come amid massive protests in Iran against the government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that began on December 28. What began as demonstrations over record inflation and the steep fall in Iran’s currency has now expanded into widespread nationwide unrest, with reports of agitation across more than 280 locations.
Iranian officials initially acknowledged the economic grievances that sparked the unrest in late December. But the rhetoric shifted as pressure on the regime grew. By last week, the head of the judiciary was warning there would be no leniency for those aiding the enemies of the Islamic Republic, and other top officials were speaking menacingly of war with foreign-sponsored terrorists.
However, the protests appeared increasingly smothered on Thursday, a week after authorities shut the country off from the world and escalated a bloody crackdown that activists say has killed over 3,400 people, according to US-based Human Rights News Agency (HRNA).
The prospect of US retaliation for the deaths of protesters still hung over the region, though President Donald Trump signalled a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending.
