Putin continues his blitz round of Mideast diplomacy by hosting the Iranian president

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the Kremlin. That meetings continues a blitz round of Middle East diplomacy a day after he visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Putin has cast the Israel-Hamas war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy and suggested Moscow could be a mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians. The tour of diplomacy is aimed at bolstering Russia’s role as a power broker in the region. On Wednesday, Putin discussed the hostilities in the Gaza Strip during his trip to the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the key participants in international efforts to negotiate a settlement.