00:00Russian President Vladimir Putin offers to use Moscow's close ties with Iran to help ease tensions in the Middle East,
00:08following recent United States and Israeli strikes.
00:11He makes the proposal after holding separate telephone calls on Monday
00:15with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
00:22Moscow regards its partnership with Iran as vital to preserving its influence in the region,
00:27particularly after the fall of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
00:31The Kremlin described the recent American and Israeli strikes on Iran as unprovoked aggression
00:36and confirmed it remains in close contact with Tehran.
00:40Putin also denounced the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
00:44while the Russian foreign ministry accused Washington and Israel of driving further escalation.
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