Russia has said it is ready to act as a mediator between Iran and the United States as tensions escalate over protests in Iran and warnings of possible military action.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said Moscow supports a diplomatic solution and is prepared to assist talks “at all levels”, describing Iran as a strategic partner of Russia.
Russian officials have called for de-escalation and opposed any foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs.
The offer comes as U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled meetings with Iranian officials and this week publicly urged protesters to challenge the government, saying “help is on the way”. Washington has warned that military options remain under consideration.
Switzerland has also indicated it is willing to help facilitate dialogue, citing its long-standing role as a diplomatic intermediary between the United States and Iran, which have had no formal relations since 1980.
The United States said it's withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.
Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests for nearly three weeks, triggered by economic hardship and later expanding into political demonstrations.
With Iran's leadership trying to quell the worst domestic unrest the Islamic Republic has ever faced, Tehran is seeking to deter U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to intervene on behalf of anti-government protesters.
The U.N. Security Council is due to meet on Iran on Thursday at the request of the United States.
A U.S.-based human rights group says the death toll has exceeded 2,500, while Iranian officials have acknowledged around 2,000 deaths.
Analysts say several regional states, including Gulf countries, may also seek to prevent further escalation, amid concerns that a wider conflict could destabilise the Middle East.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Armenia, marking the first time a sitting U.S. vice president or president has visited the country, as Washington seeks to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus and advance a U.S.-brokered peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
Convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions before Congress, while her lawyer said she could clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing if granted clemency.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday after completing a round of talks with Iran.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight on Saturday, marking the second such strike in less than a week, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Iran’s atomic energy chief says Tehran could dilute uranium enriched to 60 per cent if all international sanctions are lifted, stressing that technical nuclear issues are being discussed alongside political matters in ongoing negotiations.
NATO member Türkiye has dispatched several military aircraft to Germany, along with roughly 2,000 troops, to take part in the Western alliance’s largest annual military exercise.
Uzbekistan is set to introduce mandatory preparatory “zero classes” before primary school, after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a decree making year-long school readiness programmes an official part of compulsory education.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission is set to refocus attention on Georgia’s domestic political crisis and its faltering relationship with Washington with a 11 February briefing titled “Georgian Dream’s Growing Suppression of Dissent.”
Kazakhstan has significantly expanded its international air connectivity last year, reopening and launching flights to 30 countries according to data released by the country’s transport authorities. By the end of 2025, Kazakhstan was operating 135 international routes.
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