Russian state media reported on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed to U.S. President Donald Trump Tehran's vision for how a potential war in Iran could end.
One day before this report was published, Trump stated that as the war between Iran and Ukraine drove up energy prices, Russia would supply diesel to the global market.
According to the Russian International News Agency ( Interfax ), quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin conveyed this message to Trump after "reaching an agreement with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani". This statement is from Google Translate.
Other Russian media reports that after meeting with Pezezhichyan during a summit in Turkmenistan, Putin had a phone call with Trump.
Without further clarification from Interfax, the Iranian side is unsure as to how this war – which, according to the original text, began on February 28th with airstrikes by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets – will end.
The White House did not immediately respond to the request from CNBC sent via email to confirm the reported phone call between Putin and Trump.
Russian oil supply agreement
Trump said on Friday that Russia will supply more than 4 million tons of diesel to the global market, which he claimed was an arrangement reached during a call with Putin.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November, and then another 1 million tons immediately thereafter. Trump said that Moscow would subsequently deliver an additional 3 million tons of diesel depending on the situation at Russian refineries.
On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department temporarily exempted sanctions on Russian diesel under a general license, with the exemption valid until April 2027.
Iran has intensified attacks on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with vessels being attacked almost daily as Tehran attempts to prevent a resurgence in crude oil exports.
According to Fars News Agency, which is considered close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, a senior official from the Revolutionary Guards stated on Wednesday that Iran will block all “illegal passages” in the Strait of Hormuz.
As attacks on oil tankers increase, crude oil exports from the Middle East region rebounded to pre-war levels in September, mainly due to the U.S. military escorting vessels along the coast of Oman through the Strait of Hormuz.
A temporary agreement signed by the United States and Iran in June halted hostilities to facilitate negotiations, but it soon collapsed.
"Gift for Putin"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately condemned the diesel agreement reached between Trump and Putin. The Ukrainian leader warned that lifting sanctions without Russia making commitments to ease the war would only prolong the conflict.
Zelensky wrote on social media: "The gift for Putin will not bring peace, nor will it bring any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will 'repay' with more terror and betrayal in return for diesel. Allowing Russia to sell oil products is an investment in a war that must end, not be prolonged."
Due to Ukraine's continuous strikes on Russian refineries, which forced Moscow to ban diesel exports to the global market, diesel prices have risen significantly worldwide. Iran and its Houthi allies have also attacked refineries in the Middle East, further restricting fuel supplies.
As the mid-term elections in November approach, Trump is facing increasing political pressure to lower fuel prices. Republicans are battling in closely contested races in conservative bastions such as Iowa, where farmers are particularly affected by high diesel prices.
