Top Iranian diplomat arrives in Russia (VIDEO)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Russia, where he is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials to discuss the Middle East conflict amid stalled talks with the US.
The Iranian delegation’s plane landed in St. Petersburg at around 5:30 AM local time on Monday. Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Araghchi would hold consultations with Russian officials on “the current status of talks, the ceasefire, and developments around the conflict” with the US and Israel.
The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed Araghchi’s visit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin has a meeting with the Iranian diplomat on his schedule.
The trip marks the final leg of Araghchi’s regional tour of Pakistan, Oman, and Russia, which he has described as an effort to “closely coordinate” with partners amid the standoff with Washington and West Jerusalem.
In Pakistan, he shared Tehran’s position on a “workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran,” adding that it remains to be seen whether the US is “truly serious about diplomacy.”
In Oman, Araghchi said discussions focused on bilateral matters and regional developments, including ways to ensure safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a matter of interest to littoral states, regional neighbors, and the wider world.
US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were reportedly on standby to fly to Pakistan for potential negotiations over the weekend, but Tehran rejected direct talks with US representatives during Araghchi’s tour.
However, Araghchi reportedly handed Pakistan, which is acting as mediator, a document intended for Washington outside the formal negotiating process. The document outlines Iran’s “red lines,” including issues related to Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Washington indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, expecting a “unified” proposal from Tehran while keeping a US blockade of Iranian ports in place. The standoff around the Strait of Hormuz has rattled global markets, pushing Brent crude above $100 per barrel, while Trump has made it clear that there is no firm timeline for ending the war.
The US president further raised the stakes by saying he ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats found laying mines in the waterway. Tehran considers the blockade a direct breach of the ceasefire and has argued that any talks are pointless as long as it remains in place and Israel continues its attacks against Lebanon.
