According to Jin10, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Russia was ready to play a mediating role between the United States and Iran to end the war, while Moscow would never sacrifice its relationship with Tehran. Medvedev also said Russia-Iran ties were at an unprecedented level, with bilateral trade rising 20% last year. He added that the planned Rasht-Astara railway would have a transformative impact, saying it would connect the Iranian city of Rasht with Astara on the Azerbaijani border. Medvedev said the project, funded by Russia and Iran, is a key part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which runs through Azerbaijan and Iran and connects Europe, Russia, the Persian Gulf region and India. He also said Russia plans to build a new nuclear power plant in Iran as an additional project beyond the Bushehr nuclear plant, and stressed that Iran plays a key role in ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz.