NEW DELHI, Apr 27: Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said the US had been “requesting” Tehran for negotiations, adding that America had not achieved “even one of their goals” in their conflict.
“It is clear that Iran has stood up against the world’s greatest superpower, and they have not achieved even one of their goals. This is why they have requested negotiations, and we are currently considering it,” Araghchi told the Russian media.
Mr Araghchi is in St Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid stalled negotiations with the US after meetings in Pakistan and Oman.
During his meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Araghchi said Iran was a “stable, solid and powerful system,” adding that Russia had stood by Iran. Putin, for his part, assured Araghchi that Moscow would do “everything that serves your interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region” to secure peace in West Asia.
Russian officials confirmed Araghchi’s visit on Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting would focus on the escalating war. Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, said the foreign minister planned “to hold consultations with the Russian authorities on the current situation in the talks, the ceasefire and developments around the conflict in the Gulf.”
He added that “given bilateral relations between the two countries and the fact that Iran and Russia, as neighbors, see eye-to-eye on a number of regional and international issues, we have seen regular communication at the high and top levels.”
Iran has proposed a phased deal to the US, offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending hostilities. The plan focuses on removing the US naval blockade and restoring oil flows while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage, media reports said.
The visits come as Iran and the US remain at odds over how to resume negotiations. Araghchi said it is unclear whether US President Donald Trump was committed to diplomacy, particularly after the US canceled sending its negotiating team to Pakistan.
The US has proposed continuing talks by phone, but Iran has declined direct engagement for now. Tensions linked to the Strait of Hormuz remain a key concern, affecting both security and energy flows. Vessel traffic remains sharply lower than pre-war levels, according to official data.
(Rohit Kumar)
Comments are closed.