Russia's Putin Speaks To Iran, Others On Mideast Conflict

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who has been isolated on world stage, entered the diplomatic fray of the Israel-Hamas war on Monday speaking with regional leaders.

Putin who spoke with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and leading Arab powers in an attempt to secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Raisi was quoted as telling Putin that supporting the Palestinians is Iran's foreign policy priority, but the "resistance" groups make their own independent decisions, Iranian state media reported.

They quoted Raisi as also telling the Russian president: "There is a possibility of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians expanding to other fronts."

Iran’s clerical rulers, who have supported militant Arab groups for four decades with money, weapons and training, celebrated the Hamas attack on Israel and the killing of over 1,400 Israelis. The United States has warned Tehran not to get directly involved, as it has sent a powerful naval task force to the Eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran’s proxy the Hezbollah from opening a northern front against Israel.

Russia, which has relationships with Iran, Hamas, major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and with Israel, has repeatedly said the United States and the West have ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.

Russia’s relations with the West have significantly worsened after it invaded Ukraine last year trying to replace the government in Kyiv and annex large parts of the country.