Furious Donald Trump raged at Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying he should “mediate his own” war in Ukraine first. The US president said the Russian despot stepped forward to help end the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic programme while quelling Israeli security concerns.
But the offer from the hypocritical dictator left Mr Trump mad. He said: “He actually offered to help mediate, I said, ‘Do me a favour, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay?’ I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.’”
Earlier this year Iran approved a 20-year strategic partnership with Moscow.
While the agreement does not include a mutual defence clause, it states both countries will work together against common military threats, develop their military-technical cooperation, and take part in joint exercises.
Russia has condemned Israeli strikes as “categorically unacceptable” and warned “all the consequences of this provocation will fall on the Israeli leadership”.
Russia has a trusting relationship with Iran and helped build its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf south of Tehran.
More than 200 Russian workers are involved in building two more reactors there, with Putin claiming an agreement had been reached with Israel “their security will be ensured.”
Asked how Russia would react if Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin refused to answer, ominously saying: “I don’t even want to discuss such a possibility.”
He added: “We are not imposing anything on anyone. We are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.”
Mr Trump and his security advisors are weighing up options to obliterate Iran’s nuclear capabilities once and for all.
Exactly one week after the missile blitz on Tehran started, he is yet to commit to America’s stated ironclad commitment to Israel by backing the state with the firepower to finish the job.
Asked whether the US was getting closer to striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said: “I may do it. I may not do it.
“Nobody knows what I’m going to do…Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.
“And I said, ‘why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?’”
Mr Trump said Iran had contacted Washington, a claim vehemently denied by Tehran, with Iran’s mission to the UN saying: “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.”
Khamenei vowed never to surrender and warned “any US military intervention will undoubtedly cause irreparable damage” to US-Iranian relations.