Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in St. Petersburg, Russian President tells Iranian diplomat he hopes for peace soon.
Moscow, an ally of Iran, has so far resisted getting involved in the Middle East conflict as it continues a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But Putin offered support to Iran on Monday, saying he hoped peace would come soon and that Iran would deal with this “difficult period” of war, according to Russia’s state news agency.
“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all people in the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible.” RIA News Agency quoted Putin said this during his meeting with Araghchi.
Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday after visiting brokered Pakistan and Oman to discuss the Middle East conflict, as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington remain stalled.
What to know about negotiations to end the Iran war?
Iran is said to have offered the United States a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the Associated Press and Axios reported. Axios said Tehran wants to postpone nuclear talks to a later stage.
US President Donald Trump appears to have accepted the offer, with a White House spokesperson telling Bloomberg News on Saturday that “the US holds the cards” in negotiations.
Iran’s Fars news agency said efforts were still underway to create conditions for a second round of US-Iran talks, adding that Tehran had sent “written messages” to Washington through mediator Pakistan.
America responsible for talks failure: Araghchi
According to the AFP news agency, which cited Iranian state media, upon arriving in Moscow, Araghchi said the US was responsible for the failure of the first round of talks in Pakistan in mid-April.
“Despite progress due to the US approach, the previous round of talks failed to reach its goals due to excessive demands,” Araghchi was quoted as saying.
He also said that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue.”
The effective closure of the strait amid the conflict has caused massive disruption to global oil and gas supplies.
Iran pursues regional diplomacy
Araghchi’s visits come against the backdrop of stalled talks with the US, as both sides have rejected many of the other’s demands.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump canceled the planned visit of his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, saying talks there would amount to “sitting around without talking.”
Araghchi met the country’s military chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Pakistan on Saturday.
After this he once again went to Oman before returning to Islamabad and then left for Russia to meet Putin.
Araghchi said on X that his talks in Oman focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between Oman and Iran.
America has maintained pressure on Iran
Washington has maintained increased pressure on Tehran, including a blockade of its fossil fuel exports, as it calls on the country to abandon its uranium enrichment program, saying it is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
Tehran has said that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Edited by: Louis Olofse