Moscow (Web Desk/Agencies): Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has travelled to Russia at a crucial moment for regional diplomacy, as attempts to revive negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain unsettled after recent disruptions and the breakdown of planned discussions in Pakistan.
According to a statement shared by Iran’s Foreign Ministry on social media, the foreign minister reached Saint Petersburg on Monday.
During the visit, FM Araghchi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and also hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Iranian state media IRNA reported.
His trip follows a wider diplomatic circuit that included visits to Oman and Islamabad, as mediators continue efforts to keep dialogue between Iran and the United States from collapsing completely.
This latest move comes after US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a decision taken amid growing uncertainty over whether any direct engagement with Iranian officials would materialise.
Despite the setback, indirect communication channels appear to remain active. Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Tehran had sent “written messages” to the United States through Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator.
These messages reportedly set out Iran’s core positions, including red lines on its nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz. The agency, however, stressed that these exchanges were not part of any official negotiation process.
In a related development, US media outlet Axios reported that Iran had proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the conflict, while postponing nuclear talks to a later stage, citing a US official and two additional sources familiar with the matter. Iran’s state news agency IRNA referenced the report without denying it.
Although a ceasefire in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran is still holding, its broader economic consequences continue to affect global markets. Iran’s restriction of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser, driving prices higher and increasing concerns over food security in several developing nations.
At the same time, reports indicate a US blockade of the strait is also in place.
Expectations for a second round of talks in Pakistan had been tied to the planned arrival of US envoys Witkoff and Kushner, but those hopes collapsed after Trump withdrew the visit. The decision followed comments from Iranian state television suggesting that Araghchi had no intention of meeting US officials during his stay.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Trump said that if Iran wanted negotiations, “they can come to us, or they can call us”. Addressing speculation that the cancellation signalled renewed conflict, he added, “No, it doesn't mean that.”
As per the reports, the US president also faces rising domestic pressure as fuel prices climb in the wake of tensions around Hormuz, ahead of November’s midterm elections, with opinion polls indicating public dissatisfaction with the war.
Araghchi had earlier held meetings in Pakistan with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. He then travelled to Oman before briefly returning to Islamabad, after which he departed for Russia for further consultations, according to Iran's foreign ministry.
Russian and Iranian state media confirmed that talks between Araghchi and President Vladimir Putin are expected, highlighting continued coordination between Moscow and Tehran on regional issues.
On X, Araghchi wrote that discussions in Oman focused on ensuring safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz “to benefit of all dear neighbors and the world”. He added, “Our neighbors are our priority,” underlining Tehran’s stated regional focus.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, however, reinforced a tougher stance, declaring they would not lift the blockade. “Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America and the White House's supporters in the region is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran,” the Guards said in a Telegram statement.
The United States, meanwhile, has reportedly imposed restrictions on Iranian ports in response, further escalating maritime tensions.
In the wider regional context, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged accusations over breaches of a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was “vigorously” targeting Hezbollah positions, accusing the Iran-backed group of undermining the agreement.
Hezbollah, in turn, linked its involvement in the conflict to earlier regional developments, saying it entered the war after March 2 by firing rockets at Israel following the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, prompting Israeli retaliation.
Despite a 10-day ceasefire agreement, both sides continue to accuse each other of violations. Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that Hezbollah’s actions were “dismantling the ceasefire”, while the group said it would respond to Israeli violations and its “continued occupation”.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes in the south killed 14 people, including two women and two children, and injured 37 others. The National News Agency said evacuation warnings were issued before strikes in Kfar Tibnit, while a mosque and another religious building were destroyed in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.
Israel has stated it is acting against security threats. “This means freedom of action not only to respond to attacks...but also to pre-empt immediate threats and even emerging threats,” Netanyahu said.