Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Wednesday (June 18) warned the United States against offering direct military aid to Israel or even speculating about such actions. In remarks to Interfax, Ryabkov said, “We caution Washington against even speculative, hypothetical options of this kind. It would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation.”
He emphasised Russia’s active diplomatic engagement, stating, “We are in contact with both sides. This is happening at the working level and at the political level.”
Trump rejects Putin’s mediation offer
US President Donald Trump revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to mediate between Israel and Iran during a phone call on June 17. Trump said he declined the offer, urging Putin to focus on his own country’s war in Ukraine.
“I spoke to him yesterday. He actually offered to mediate,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Do me a favor. Mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, OK?’”
Trump added that the call also served as a birthday greeting from Putin, who phoned him on June 16—Trump’s 79th birthday.
However, confusion arose over whether the conversation actually occurred. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed the claim, telling TASS: “He was speaking figuratively. Life is so eventful right now that looking back a few days is like looking back to yesterday.”
Tough talk from Trump on Iran
Trump continues to walk a tightrope between averting war and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, he told reporters: “I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.”
He kept his plans ambiguous: “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do… Nothing is finished until it is finished.”
He also hinted at imminent developments: “The next week is going to be very big — maybe less than a week.”
Sharp words for Iran’s Supreme Leader
Trump claimed the US knows where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is hiding: “He is an easy target, but is safe there. We are not going to take him out—at least not for now.”
Iran’s UN mission strongly denied Trump’s assertion that Iranian officials sought talks with the White House.
“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to take out Iran’s Supreme Leader,” the statement read.
US weighs military options
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed to lawmakers that the Pentagon is providing Trump with military options as the conflict intensifies. Trump warned Iran’s 9.5 million citizens to flee the capital and cut short his G7 trip in Alberta, Canada, to return to Washington for urgent consultations.
Despite the tensions, Trump confirmed plans to attend the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25: “Yeah, I’ll be going. I think so.”
Stakes rising
While he seeks to avoid open war, the US President is also positioning himself as ready to act decisively if Iran escalates.