Putin urges ceasefire in Middle East in calls with Gulf leaders

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin urged a ceasefire in the Middle East during phone calls with the leaders of several Gulf states on Monday as the war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran spreads throughout the region.
Retaliatory strikes from Tehran have hit targets across the Gulf, forcing authorities to close airspace and stalling traffic at big hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Putin on Monday held calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as with the leaders of the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
In a call with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, both leaders 'emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the political and diplomatic process', the Kremlin said in a readout.
The Russian leader also said he was ready to convey the UAE's concerns about Iranian retaliation strikes to Tehran and to help stabilise the situation in the region.
During the call with Qatari Emir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, both leaders shared concerns about 'the risks of the conflict's expansion and the danger of third countries being drawn into it,' the Kremlin said.
The Russian foreign ministry earlier slammed 'any attacks on civilian targets, whether in Iran or Arab countries,' in the conflict.
Facing isolation from the West after sending troops to Ukraine, Putin has sought to strengthen partnerships in the Middle East, maintaining close relations both with Iran and the Gulf monarchies.
The UAE has emerged as a key mediator in the four-year-long Russia-Ukraine war, brokering a number of prisoner exchanges between the two sides and most recently hosting talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on a US-drafted plan to end the fighting.
Tehran is a key ally of Moscow and has supplied it with the Shahed drones used in the Ukraine offensive. — AFP