Russia thinks war between the US and Iran is on the horizon, and is proposing steps to stop it:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday proposed a video summit with the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Iran in a bid to avoid “confrontation and escalation” at the United Nations, where Washington is trying to extend an arms embargo on Tehran, reports Reuters.

But it’s hard to know what could be done at this point. Not only did the Trump administration void the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), but long-standing hawks like Pompeo have sought to ramp up sanctions at every turn.

The situation has been stalemated, with Tehran demanding easing of sanctions or erasure altogether as a condition for fresh talks, but with the White House alternately saying Iran has to first abandon all development related to nuclear power (which the US says is actually for nuclear weapons) and its ballistic missile program.

But if Gaddafi’s fate is anything to go by (who abandoned his WMD program in the early 2000s and was “brought in from the cold” as they say – only to be overthrown by US-NATO military intervention and summarily executed in the street years later), the view from Tehran is that any ‘deal-making’ with the United States is impossible.

“The issue is urgent,” Putin said of his plan in Friday comments. He explained the alternative remains “only further escalation of tensions, increasing risk of conflict – such a scenario must be avoided.”

When asked about Putin’s proposal and a press briefing on Friday, President Trump responded: “I hear there’s something, but I haven’t been told of it yet.”

However, given Iran essentially sees the US as in a state of war with the Islamic Republic – especially given the January assassination of IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani, it will likely less than optimistic for any UN deconfliction meeting to succeed.