Trump said he believed Tehran, a close Putin ally, wanted to make a deal on its nuclear program to avoid military action.

Already facing electricity cuts, civilians are struggling to keep warm in their own homes as temperatures are set to plummet.

Attacks on Ukrainian energy grid left whole districts without heating, with temperatures expected to plunge to -30C in Kyiv in the coming days, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.

While it is not known what Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Putin discussed during their meeting on Friday, AFP reported that Russia has offered to play the role of a ...