Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for Russia late Sunday after a brief stop in Pakistan, as regional diplomatic efforts intensify to end the ongoing Middle East tensions.
In Moscow, Araghchi is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials to discuss ways to de-escalate the conflict between Iran and the United States, now entering its third month.
A key focusof the discussion will be the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran continues to oppose the US Navy’s presence and any form of blockade.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, the message behind Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Moscow is clear and deliberate. Tehran is aiming to balance active regional diplomacy with coordination among key partners ahead of possible direct or indirect negotiations in the coming days, it said.
Moscow has been a long-time ally of Iran. Earlier, Russia’s envoy to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, criticised Washington’s approach to the negotiations, urging it to abandon “blackmail” and ultimatums if progress is to be made.
Araghchi landed in Russia amid a flurry of diplomatic activities to resolve the tension in the Middle East. On Sunday, Araghchi landed in Islamabad for the second time in three days and met Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The Iranian minister came back to the Pakistan capital from Oman where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
The first round of peace talks held between Washington and Tehran on April 11 and 12 failed to bring the desired results.
