Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Russia is ready to act as a mediator between Iran and Israel, both of whom it has relations with.
“President Putin has said that Russia is ready to provide mediation services if necessary,” Peskov said during a daily news briefing.
“At present, we see a reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to resort to any mediation services or to embark on a peaceful path towards a settlement,” he added.
Iran is one of Russia’s top allies, but has also been keen to not alienate Israel, with which it has maintained good relations over the years.
“It’s a very difficult balancing game that Russia is trying to play,” Nikolay Surkov, assistant professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told Al Jazeera. “And Russia is sincerely trying to achieve some kind of a political solution.”
