Russia offers to host US-Iran peace talks but says it won’t push
Photo: Red Square in Moscow (Getty Images)
Russia has stated its readiness to assist the US, Iran, and the Gulf countries by providing a platform for peace dialogue. At the same time, Moscow noted that it will not impose itself, according to Russian media.
The proposal was put forward by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov.
"We are ready to facilitate a peaceful settlement of differences, both between the US and Iran and between Iranians and Arabs. We would be happy to provide a platform for Arab-Iranian dialogue, but we have no intention of imposing ourselves," the diplomat said.
Pakistan, as the main mediator in the Middle East peace process, has called on Iran and the US to return to the terms of the June memorandum.
According to it, Tehran and Washington were to reach a final agreement on ending the war within 60 days. However, there is no information about a new round of negotiations in Islamabad.
Moscow stated that the peace process has allegedly now involved other countries as well, including Russia, as Alimov declared.
"We maintain close contacts with all interested parties, including Islamabad, Riyadh, and Ankara. We know that efforts to bring the parties back to negotiations are continuing," one Russian media outlet quoted him as saying.
Escalation in the Middle East
After the collapse of the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, as of July 20, Washington has launched a new wave of strikes on the Islamic state, with the attack continuing for the ninth consecutive night.
The instability in the Strait of Hormuz has become a problem — the US explained the start of its attacks as a response to Tehran's strikes on vessels. For example, at the end of last month, Iran attacked a cargo ship flying the flag of Singapore in the Strait of Hormuz. Similar attacks were repeated, prompting a corresponding response from the US.
The day before, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran had suspended its obligations under the agreement with the US, which had provided for a ceasefire. For now, the prospects for a truce between the countries remain unclear.
