Vladimir Putin Dismisses Report Alleging 'Betrayal' of Iran; Claims Russian Envoy Proposed Deal to US

Moscow: The United States has rejected a Russian proposal that sought to link a reduction in Russia's assistance to Iran with a corresponding reduction in US assistance to Ukraine. According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed that if the US agreed to limit the intelligence it shares with Ukraine, Russia would, in turn, cease sharing location data with Iran.

What had Russia proposed?

According to the 'Financial Times', Kirill Dmitriev—a special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin—presented this proposal to his American counterparts, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during a meeting held in Miami last week. However, Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has dismissed this report, labeling it as fake. 

Peskov warned that this constitutes a "major fake media campaign designed to undermine progress" and weaken relations between the U.S. and Russia. Similarly, Kirill Dmitriev, President Putin's special envoy, also responded to the report by 'Politico Europe', characterizing it as "fake."

How ​​has Russia attempted to mediate in the Iran conflict?

The FT report states that Russia has repeatedly extended a helping hand to mediate between the United States and Iran. Last week, Putin spoke by telephone with President Donald Trump. During this conversation, he offered several suggestions aimed at helping to de-escalate the conflict with Iran. The Kremlin stated that countries in the Gulf region reacted positively to these suggestions. According to the report, these ideas included a proposal to transfer Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium to Russia. However, Trump rejected this option. This information is based on accounts from a source familiar with the discussions, as well as reporting by 'Axios'. US and Israeli officials have argued that Tehran could potentially use this material to develop nuclear weapons.

Why is Russia facing accusations of aiding Iran?

Iran has reportedly carried out a successful strike against a U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet. Military experts assert that, without Russia's assistance, Iran lacks the capability to track this fighter jet and subsequently launch a precision strike against it. Claims have been made that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence regarding the locations of U.S. forces in West Asia. Allegations suggest that Russia is furnishing Tehran with information that aids its military in detecting U.S. warships, radar systems, or other communication networks. However, there are no indications that Moscow is directly assisting in Iranian missile or drone attacks.

According to Nicole Grajewski—an expert on Russia-Iran cooperation and an Assistant Professor at the Center for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris—Iran possesses a significantly limited number of military satellites, whereas Russia maintains a vast network of reconnaissance satellites. It has been alleged that Russia is not only providing Iran with timely and precise intelligence but is also offering more accurate assessments of the damage inflicted by Iranian airstrikes.