By Andrew Osborn and Alexander Marrow (Reuters) -Russian leader Vladimir Putin told Iran's president over the phone on Friday that Moscow condemned Israeli actions against Tehran, and in a separate telephone conversation told Israel's prime minister that only diplomacy could resolve issues around Iran's nuclear programme.

The deadly fighting between Israel and Iran is unlikely to bring Moscow closer to ending its invasion of Ukraine, and there are several ways it could play into Russia’s hands. But they may not move the dial dramatically in a war that seems destined to continue for months to come,

Israel’s assault on Iran represents a double helping of good news for the Kremlin. Years of two-track diplomacy have allowed Vladimir Putin to position himself both as a friend to Israel’s