Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to mediate to end the conflict between Israel and Iran. Speaking at a roundtable session on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Mr. Putin suggested that Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic programme while assuaging Israeli security concerns. Mr. Putin said he shared Moscow’s proposals with Iran, Israel and the United States. His comments follow a mediation offer that he made in a call with U.S. President Trump last weekend. He emphasised that Russia has a relationship with Iran and built its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr.

Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran, a policy that potentially opens opportunities for Moscow to play power broker to help end the confrontation.