Kremlin expected Trump to restrain Israel from attacking Iran — report

Officials in the Russian Foreign Ministry, government, and Kremlin insiders told the journalists that Russia thought Trump would prefer temporary diplomatic arrangements over a full-scale conflict. 

“We trusted in Trump’s unconventional moves and his desire to maintain his image as a peacemaker,” a retired high-ranking Kremlin official said. 

“We expected he might negotiate temporary measures that would let Iran avoid absolute humiliation, perhaps by not completely banning uranium enrichment, and that he would work to prevent an Israeli strike.”

Russian government sources noted that Moscow considered the situation in Iran relatively stable. They believed Trump was ready to compromise, and that Iran “showed flexibility” in negotiations, including a willingness to discuss scaling down its uranium enrichment program. In Moscow’s view, a worst-case scenario would have been Iran exiting the Non-Proliferation Treaty, potentially leading to new international sanctions.

One Kremlin-affiliated analyst at the Valdai Discussion Club said, “The idea of an outright military operation by Israel—let alone one aimed at regime change—was deemed extremely unlikely.”

According to the report, Russia had hoped to play a more active role as a partner and ally to Iran, but sources said the Kremlin no longer had the means to influence the situation.

“In Israel, they view our stance as hostile,” another former Russian official said.

“[Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu isn’t listening to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin. Only Trump can sway him now.”