UAE's MBZ and Putin hold call as Gulf, Russia push diplomacy on Iran-Israel
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be courting Gulf support for a diplomatic role in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
The leaders of Russia and the United Arab Emirates held a phone call on Wednesday to discuss the conflict between Iran and Israel, as Gulf countries and Russia eye a diplomatic off-ramp.
According to a statement from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed “emphasized it was imperative to cease the hostilities and step up the political and diplomatic efforts aimed at settling the differences related to Iran's nuclear program.”
“Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia was willing to provide mediation with a view to promoting the dialogue between the parties to the conflict. In addition, he notified his counterpart of contacts made with several foreign leaders to discuss the issue,” the statement read.
Also on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a similar call with his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, in which the two “emphasized it was imperative to cease the hostilities and step up political and diplomatic efforts,” according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
