Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently visited St. Petersburg, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the state Russian news agency Tass, Putin praised the Iranian people as “brave and heroic” for fighting for their sovereignty. Furthermore, Putin stated that Russia stands ready to “do everything in its power to create peace in the Middle East as quickly as possible” and reaffirmed its intention to continue “strategic relations with Iran”.
The diplomatic trip included several key engagements. Prior to traveling to Russia, Araghchi visited Pakistan, where he handed over a list outlining Tehran’s “red lines”-areas of concern that were to be relayed to the United States. These critical issues included the Iranian nuclear program and the security status of the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi described his visit to Pakistan as “a very successful” experience following “good consultations with our friends”.
He also made a brief stopover in Oman, which he characterized as a “friendly neighboring country that has adopted a very positive position in this conflict”. Given that both Iran and Oman are littoral states on the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi stated that discussions on this matter are “essential”. He emphasized that the safe passage through the strait is a “vital global concern” calling for close collaboration between the two nations to protect their common interests. The Iranian minister added, “Fortunately, there are many things in common between us and Oman, and agreements were reached to continue consultations at the expert level”.
Meanwhile, diplomatic relations with the US have reached a point of stagnation. These tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump cancelled the mission of US envoys to Pakistan. Amidst this, and according to US media reports, Iran is allegedly pursuing a new proposal behind the scenes aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran appears to require Washington to first end the current conflict and provide guarantees that hostilities will not resume before any negotiations can begin.