'Ready to do everything in our power': Putin offers to help end Iran war

NEW: Putin offers to help end the Iran war, saying Russia is 'ready to do everything in our power' to broker peace.

Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to do everything in its power to end the Iran war.

That's the offer out of Moscow tonight, Putin positioning himself as the man who can broker peace. And you can see the relationship he's trading on here, Moscow and Tehran have spent years building ties, arms deals, energy, diplomacy, the handshakes are well practised.

But think about who's making the offer. This is a leader waging his own war in Ukraine, under Western sanctions, proposing to referee somebody else's conflict. If the Kremlin pulls it off, Putin walks back onto the world stage as a peacemaker, which would be quite the rebrand. If Washington and Tehran want a deal, they may not want it signed in Moscow.

A mediator is only a mediator if both sides pick up the phone. So far, Putin is the only one talking.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.