Iran's foreign minister visits Russia to meet Putin, consult on US ceasefire talks

Prefer on Google by Martin Fornusek Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivers a statement at the Ritz Hotel during a meeting with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, on Jan. 30, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Burak Kara/Getty Images) Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Russia, where he is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, the IRNA state news agency reported on April 27. Araghchi landed at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport after visiting Pakistan and Oman as part of diplomatic efforts to reinvigorate ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington. The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin would meet the Iranian foreign minister during his visit. "Mr. Araghchi will consult with Russian officials regarding the latest status of negotiations, the ceasefire, and surrounding developments, and will provide a report on these talks to the Moscow authorities," Iran's Ambassador to Russia , Kazem Jalali, said in an interview with the ISNA news agency. Moscow is a strategic partner of Tehran and has denounced the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a weeks-long conflict across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead and driving a surge in global energy prices. Iran, in turn, has closely supported Russia during its all-out war against Ukraine, supplying Shahed strike drones and assisting Moscow in developing and mass-producing its own variants used in regular attacks on Ukrainian cities. The U.S. and Iran concluded a ceasefire on April 7, which U.S. President Donald Trump extended indefinitely last week. Negotiations remain fragile after Trump canceled the planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Amid the diplomatic stalemate, Tehran proposed to the U.S. a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow maritime corridor that carries 20% of global oil trade — and end the war, with talks on Iran's nuclear program to be postponed, Axios reported .