Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as part of efforts to end the United States-Israel war on Iran.
Upon his arrival on Monday, Araghchi told Iranian media that he had travelled to Russia “with the aim of continuing close consultations between Tehran and Moscow on regional and international issues”.
The diplomat said his meeting with Putin “will be a good opportunity to discuss developments in the war and review the latest situation”.
“I am confident that these consultations and coordination between the two countries in this regard will be of particular importance,” he added.
The visit follows an earlier meeting in Muscat with Omani officials, as Iran seeks to rally regional and international support for renewed negotiations.
Washington and Tehran agreed to a temporary ceasefire on April 8 following more than a month of fighting that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The truce, mediated by Pakistan, has since been strained by disputes over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a US blockade on Iranian ports; meanwhile, a parallel conflict involving Israel and Lebanon also threatens to complicate negotiations.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said Russia was likely to play a central role in any next phase of the conflict.
“We have a scenario for diplomatic settlement and another for confrontation,” Asadi said. “Russia is going to play a key role when it comes to both, so Iran’s FM is there for consultations.”
Credit: aljazeera.com
