Russia says Israel ‘reluctant' to accept outside mediation over Iran conflict
MOSCOW: Russia said Tuesday it was ready to act as a peace broker between Israel and Iran, but that Israel was showing reluctance to accept outside mediation.
Israel began launching strikes across Iran on Friday, saying it aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- a charge Iran denies.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes on Israel.
'President Putin has said that Russia is ready to provide mediation services if necessary,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a daily 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.'
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that Russia was not in a position to mediate given its full-scale offensive against Ukraine.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, Iran said Sunday. It has not issued an updated toll since then.
At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Russia has deepened its economic and military ties with Iran in recent years but has a close working relationship with Israel, positioning itself as a potential mediator.
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