Tehran Turns to Putin: Araghchi Heads to Russia as Trump Freezes Iran Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as Tehran continues diplomatic efforts across the region while negotiations with the United States remain effectively frozen.

His trip to Moscow followed a busy diplomatic weekend that included visits to Pakistan and Oman, both of which have been involved as intermediaries in attempts to reduce tensions and reopen indirect channels between Tehran and Washington.

Russia remains one of Iran’s closest strategic partners, especially after Moscow deepened cooperation with Tehran in recent years. Still, the Kremlin has so far been cautious about becoming directly involved in the latest Middle East escalation while it remains heavily engaged in the war in Ukraine.

Araghchi’s regional tour came as efforts to restart US-Iran talks stalled, with both sides rejecting key demands from the other.

A first round of discussions held in Pakistan in mid-April failed to produce any agreement. US President Donald Trump later canceled a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying further discussions would amount to “sitting around talking about nothing.”

Trump later told reporters that after canceling the trip, Iran quickly sent what he described as a better proposal.

“They gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” he said.

Still, Trump signaled little patience for further indirect diplomacy.

“We’re not doing this anymore. We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. There is a telephone, we have nice secure lines,” he added.

Iranian state media, however, insisted that direct talks had never been formally planned and said Tehran had instead sent “written messages” to Washington through Pakistani mediators.

According to Iran’s ISNA and Fars news agencies, those messages outlined Tehran’s red lines, especially on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran reportedly wants the reopening of the Strait to be addressed first, while broader nuclear negotiations would be postponed for a later stage.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most sensitive points in the crisis. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman is a critical route for global oil and gas shipments, and its effective closure has created major disruptions in international energy markets.

Araghchi said his discussions in Oman focused heavily on the possibility of reopening the passage and reducing regional tensions linked to it.

At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards made clear that control over the strait remains central to Tehran’s strategy.

“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,” they said in a Telegram message.

The United States, meanwhile, has maintained a blockade on Iranian ports in response, prompting Iranian state media to warn that such “blockading, banditry and piracy” would not go unanswered.

Before flying to Moscow, Araghchi held meetings in Islamabad with Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Pakistan has emerged as an important intermediary in the current diplomatic efforts.

Araghchi described his first Pakistan visit as “very fruitful,” but also expressed doubt about Washington’s real intentions.

“I have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.

Iranian media said his second stop in Pakistan was aimed at explaining Tehran’s position on what would be required for a complete end to the war and for any future political settlement.

At the same time, regional tensions remain high beyond the US-Iran track. In Lebanon, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged accusations of violating the ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes against Hezbollah positions, saying the group’s actions were undermining the truce.

“It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting.

Hezbollah responded by accusing Israel of repeated violations and said it would react to the “continued occupation of Lebanese territory.”

Lebanese media reported Israeli evacuation warnings for seven locations, followed by airstrikes that caused casualties and damage, including the destruction of a mosque and another religious building.

Israel’s military later said one of its soldiers was killed in combat in southern Lebanon and six others were wounded, four of them seriously.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll since the conflict escalated on March 2 has reached 2,509 people killed and 7,755 injured.

Against this backdrop, Araghchi’s meeting with Putin is being closely watched as Tehran seeks stronger backing from Moscow while trying to preserve room for diplomacy with Washington.