Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, saying that Moscow was willing to mediate rising tensions in the Middle East, the Kremlin said.
The discussions come as protests in Iran have drawn international attention, and amid fears of wider regional instability.
In the call with Netanyahu, Putin outlined ideas for boosting stability in the region and said Russia was ready to continue its mediation efforts and promote dialogue with all interested states. The Kremlin said it would provide a later readout on the conversation with Pezeshkian.
Russia has developed closer ties with Iran since its war in Ukraine, and Putin signed a 20-year strategic partnership pact with Pezeshkian last year.
Tehran has faced a harsh crackdown on nationwide protests that began late last month, and US President Donald Trump has warned of possible intervention amid the unrest.
The calls also follow a year in which both the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and Iran fought a 12-day war with Israel.
As an ally of Tehran, Russia has expressed concern over threats to Iranian leadership, particularly after losing other close partners in recent years.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was already providing assistance to Iran and the wider region to help de-escalate tensions and support peace. Western powers have accused Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons agenda, which Tehran denies, while Russia says it supports Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.