TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Monday it welcomed any initiative to end the war in Ukraine but cast doubt on U.S. credibility as a mediator, following a meeting last week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press briefing in Tehran that since the conflict erupted in February 2022, Iran had always announced that differences between the warring parties should be resolved through peaceful methods and had constantly encouraged the two sides to resort to dialogue and interaction to solve their disputes.

He added, however, that Washington must make considerable efforts to gain the trust of others due to its "poor track record" in international negotiations.

Baghaei said Tehran was closely monitoring developments related to Ukraine and was in contact with Russia, especially regarding the issues discussed during the meeting in Alaska. ■