Iran is considering a request from Vladimir Putin to start direct talks with Donald Trump, The Telegraph has learned.

A senior Iranian official has revealed that the Kremlin has contacted the Islamic Republic’s supreme national security council to facilitate direct talks between the two arch-enemies.

Russia confirmed on Tuesday it had agreed to help facilitate talks between Mr Trump and Iran, including on Tehran’s nuclear programme and its support for regional anti-US proxies.

Iranian officials, however, are reluctant to accept the offer, as hardliners have become increasingly opposed to the talks following the row between Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last week.

“Officials from the Kremlin contacted the supreme national security council and said Putin wants to mediate and he’s ready to facilitate direct talks between Iran and America,” an Iranian official told The Telegraph from Tehran.

He added: “They said Trump wants to talk and is preferring it over war but, here, there is a big uncertainty around it after what happened in the White House last week.”