Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said this Thursday that the United States asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help mediate direct talks with Tehran aimed at ending the war.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the Iranian Parliament speaker also noted that US officials raised the possibility of mediation in the Russian capital, urging the Kremlin to persuade his country to dialogue directly with Washington.
"It was the Americans who, during a visit to Moscow, spoke with Mr. Putin and asked him to talk to Iran so that, in any case, Iran would agree to speak directly with them," Qalibaf said.
According to AP, the White House did not directly answer the question of whether the US asked the Russian head of state to facilitate talks with Tehran.
The accusation comes after President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were in Russia today, where they met with Putin to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In their statements after the meeting, neither the Russian leader nor Trump's envoys mentioned any conversation about Iran.
Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue the talks in Dublin, Ireland.
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WorldIran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said that US officials raised the possibility with President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow. Iran's chief negotiator and Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. Photo: @mb_ghalibaf on X. CommentsIran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said this Thursday that the United States asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help mediate direct talks with Tehran aimed at ending the war. In an interview with Al Jazeera, the Iranian Parliament speaker said that US officials raised the possibility of mediation in the Russian capital, urging the Kremlin to persuade his country to engage in direct dialogue with Washington."It was the Americans who, during a visit to Moscow, spoke with Mr. Putin and asked him to speak with Iran so that, in any case, Iran would agree to talk directly with them," Qalibaf said. According to AP, the White House did not directly respond to the question of whether the US asked the Russian head of state to facilitate talks with Tehran. The accusation comes after President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were in Russia today, where they met with Putin to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. In their remarks after the meeting, neither the Russian leader nor Trump's envoys mentioned any talks about Iran. Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue talks in Dublin, Ireland. More on: IranUnited StatesRussiaVladimir PutinSteve WitkoffJared KushnerWorld