Kremlin Expresses Support for Iran-Israel Ceasefire Amid Trumps Troubling Announcement

On Tuesday, the Kremlin expressed its support for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel following U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of a pause in hostilities, a peace initiative that seemed to falter almost immediately.

“If a ceasefire has indeed been reached, it is certainly welcome,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to the media, emphasizing Moscow’s hope that “this will lead to a lasting ceasefire.”

However, mere hours after Trump’s declaration on Monday, both nations accused each other of breaching the proposed agreement as airstrikes resumed. Following explosions in northern Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the military to persist in their attacks on Iranian targets.

Trump criticized both countries for failing to uphold the ceasefire, stating: “They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.” On his platform Truth Social, he urged Israel to “NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO, IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

As a key ally of Iran, Russia has expressed its desire for de-escalation but has refrained from offering direct assistance, even after U.S. forces targeted Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.

When questioned about whether Moscow’s support for Tehran was merely symbolic, Peskov rejected that notion.

“There are many who wish to inflame tensions and disrupt the partnership between Moscow and Tehran,” he stated.

During a Monday meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in Moscow following the U.S. strikes, President Vladimir Putin did not disclose any new support measures.

Putin condemned the assault on Iran as “unprovoked” and “unjustifiable,” without mentioning the United States, and stated that Russia is “making efforts to assist the Iranian people,” though he didn’t provide details.

Peskov mentioned that Araghchi did not inform Putin about Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, which resulted in no casualties, with Trump asserting that Iran had given prior warning.

He added that it is currently too early to assess the damage inflicted on Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites, which were hit in the U.S. strikes over the past weekend.

“Very few people have a clear understanding of the situation at this moment,” Peskov remarked.

Meanwhile, Putin had a conversation on Tuesday with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with both leaders emphasizing the need for efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.

Reporting from AFP contributed to this story.