Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped in to try to reduce rising tensions in the Middle East after a series of strikes on energy and civilian sites across the Gulf region. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that he plans to carry the concerns of Gulf Arab leaders directly to Tehran, hoping to prevent further escalation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin would do everything possible to help lower tensions, even if only slightly. According to the Kremlin, Russiaโs outreach is part of wider efforts to stabilise the situation as exchanges of attacks continue across the region.
The diplomatic push follows a phone call on Monday between Putin and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. During their discussion, both leaders voiced alarm over the risk of the conflict spreading further, warning that it has already affected several Arab countries and could lead to serious consequences.
In a statement, the Kremlin said the Saudi Crown Prince believed Russia could play a constructive and balancing role because of its strong ties with both Iran and Gulf nations.
Putin also spoke with Qatarโs Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Both sides expressed concern about the possibility of other countries being drawn into the conflict. They also said they hoped Iranโs retaliatory actions would avoid harming civilians or damaging infrastructure such as tourism and transport facilities in neighbouring states.
The Kremlin has blamed the latest escalation on what it described as armed aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran. It said these actions amounted to a violation of international law and had caused serious harm to the Iranian people.
Iran targets energy infrastructure in Middle East
The conflict has already affected key energy sites in the Gulf. Drone strikes led to the shutdown of Saudi Arabiaโs largest domestic oil refinery, triggered a fire at the Fujairah oil facility in the United Arab Emirates, and struck the Ras Laffan energy complex in Qatar, halting liquefied natural gas production.
Air travel in the region has also been disrupted, with temporary closures of airspace in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Global oil markets reacted quickly, with Brent crude prices rising for a third straight day.
The unrest follows US and Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. Tehran has since launched retaliatory attacks on American military bases and Israeli-linked targets in the region.