‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first’: Trump shuts down Putin’s offer to mediate Israel-Iran war

US President Donald Trump has publicly dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday (June 18), Trump said he urged Putin to focus on his own country’s actions before getting involved elsewhere.

“He actually offered to help mediate, I said ‘Do me a favour, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay?’” Trump said, adding, “I said ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.’”

Trump had earlier said he was open to Putin’s help

Trump’s comments come just days after he suggested he was open to the idea of Putin mediating between the two countries. On Sunday, he told ABC reporter Rachel Scott, “Yeah, I would be open to it. He is ready. He called me about it. We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved.”

Russia says Israel not ready for peace talks

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has reiterated Russia’s willingness to mediate. Speaking at a briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “President Putin has said that Russia is ready to provide mediation services if necessary.”

But he added that Israel seemed unwilling to accept outside help. “At present, we see a reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to resort to any mediation services or to embark on a peaceful path towards a settlement,” Peskov said.

Israel-Iran war intensifies, enters sixth day

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day on Wednesday, with both sides continuing to exchange heavy fire. The Israeli military said it had struck a centrifuge facility in Tehran overnight, a site linked to uranium enrichment.

According to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, two centrifuge production facilities in Karaj, near Tehran, were destroyed in the attacks.

Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium, which can be utilised for nuclear energy or weapons, depending on the level of refinement.

Since the war began last week, at least 224 people have died in Iran and 24 people in Israel, according to official figures.