Charles Maynes

Meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakci in St.

Petersburg, Putin praised the Iranian people for bravely and heroically defending their country against U.S.

and Israeli aggression.

The Russian leader added Moscow would do everything to help bring about a peace that served the interests of its allies in Tehran.

U.S.

intelligence agencies say that includes providing Iran with targeting data and drones to strike American military assets in the Persian Gulf,

a charge Russia denies.

Publicly, the Kremlin insists it wants to mediate the conflict, a role that Russia says could include storing Iran's enriched uranium to allay U.S.

concerns over Tehran's nuclear weapons program.

Charles Maynes, NPR News.

The foreign ministry statement called the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran a pre-planned and unprovoked act of aggression and demanded an immediate return to diplomatic talks.

The ministry also accused Washington and Tel Aviv of falsely hyping threats surrounding Iran's nuclear program to pursue regime change.

and war in the Middle East was in danger of plunging into a cycle of uncontrolled escalation.

The Russian response was in line with its objections to recent U.S.

military pressure against Kremlin allies in Venezuela, Cuba, and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Yet Moscow has thus far stepped back from taking more forceful actions, with the vast majority of its military resources devoted to the war in Ukraine.

Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.

The Kremlin says the U.S.

has now provided a document outlining the main parameters of its peace proposal.

one amended with input from Ukraine and Europe after an earlier version was criticized as heavily tilted in Moscow's favor.