TEHRAN – Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has announced plans to travel to Tehran in order to confer with Iranian Foreign Ministry officials.

Zakharova made the announcement in an interview with IRNA on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 on Saturday.

“We and the Iranians have a lot to say, and so I’m going to visit Tehran soon,” she said.

Also on Friday, Zakharova told Aljazeera that the U.S. needs to show political will in order to establish a dialogue between Tehran and Washington, stressing that the two countries were capable of direct dialogue and did not need intermediaries.

She added Moscow is ready to use its relations with the Persian Gulf countries to reduce tension in the region.

Zakharova also said claims about a Russian deal with the U.S. and Israel to compromise on Iran in Syria are “laughable and not serious”.

The remarks came as some Israeli media outlets claimed that Tel Aviv and Washington would recognize the legitimacy of the Syrian President Bashar Assad in return for Russia working to limit Iranian influence in Syria. According to the reports, a tripartite meeting between security officials from Russia, the U.S., and the Israeli regime is going to be held this month.

MH/PA