Vladimir Putin's proposal, in a series of calls with Gulf leaders about the “unprovoked aggression” of the United States and Israel on Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of calls on Monday with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, offering to use Moscow's ties with Iran to try to help restore calm in the Middle East for the United States and Israel, Reuters reports.

In telephone talks with the leaders of the four Gulf Arab states, all affected by Tehran's retaliation, the Russian president criticized the attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran, which he described as “unprovoked aggression”.

According to the Kremlin, in the conversation with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vladimir Putin offered to act as a communication channel, conveying to Tehran the UAE's displeasure with the attacks.

“Both sides stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the political and diplomatic process,” the Kremlin said.

In the dialogue with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, both he and Vladimir Putin expressed their concern about the expansion of the conflict and the risk of involvement of third countries, the Kremlin also said.

At the same time, according to the Russian side, Putin told King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain that Moscow is ready to do everything possible to stabilize the situation in the region.

According to the Kremlin, in a recent phone call with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he conveyed to Putin that Russia can play a stabilizing role, given its friendly relations with Iran and other Gulf countries.

Separately, a discussion also took place between the Russian foreign minister and his Saudi counterpart.

Constant contact between Russia and Iran, the Kremlin claims

In a previous statement, the Kremlin said that Russia remained in constant contact with the leadership of Iran, a country with which it has a strategic partnership.

Russia sees this partnership as essential to maintain the influence it still has in the Middle East, which has been shaken by the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The Institute on War (ISW), a Washington think-tank, noted on Monday that Russia has avoided providing concrete support for Iran, an apparently important ally from which it has received support for the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin likely remains constrained by its own war efforts in Ukraine and a desire to extract concessions from the United States without sacrificing its goals in Ukraine, ISW analysts and those cited by the Kyiv Independent said.

In an article published on Arktos Journal, Alexandr Dughin, considered the ideologue of Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, said that the joint attack by US and Israeli forces on Iran signals the collapse of international law and the opening of a new era in which global politics will be governed by brute force.