Putin, Trump discuss Israeli aggression on Iran via phone
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The Kremlin's reaffirmation of dialogue, despite Israeli and American provocations, stands in contrast to the West's duplicity.
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In this photo released by the Iranian Red Crescent Society rescuers work at the scene of an explosion after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Saturday, with discussions centered on the recent Israeli aggression against Iran and the continuing conflict in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
During the call, Putin condemned the Israeli strikes as a destabilizing and provocative act, particularly given their timing, just days before planned nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States.
"Despite such a complicated situation, the Russian and American presidents didn't rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program," said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who described the call as "meaningful, frank, and most importantly, very useful."
Iran has held Washington directly responsible for the escalation, citing its open backing of Tel Aviv's attacks. The Israeli airstrikes, which killed senior Iranian military officials, Major General Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri, alongside several nuclear scientists, and scores of civilians were widely condemned across the region.
In response, Tehran launched Operation True Promise 3, targeting Israeli military infrastructure with precision strikes that Israeli officials admitted caused "unprecedented destruction."
The Kremlin's reaffirmation of dialogue, despite Israeli and American provocations, stands in contrast to the West's duplicity. Iran, for its part, declared further nuclear talks with the US "pointless" under conditions of aggression, a position later followed by Oman’s official announcement that the Muscat round had been canceled, signaling the collapse of the talks.
The two leaders also addressed humanitarian developments in Ukraine. Putin confirmed that Russia had unilaterally returned the bodies of over 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers and expressed readiness to resume negotiations with Kiev "after June 22."
The prior talks in Istanbul focused on the exchange of injured, young, and ill detainees; however, Ukraine did not adhere to the commitments made during those discussions.
Read more: Russia thought Ukraine would welcome back dead soldiers: Medinsky
Putin concluded the call by extending birthday greetings to Trump, who turned 79. Ushakov noted that both leaders appreciated the personal rapport that enables them to "seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be."
