Putin pledges support for Iran in talks with FM Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, with the Russian president telling the Iranian diplomat that he hoped for peace soon.

Moscow, an ally of Iran, has so far resisted being drawn into the Middle East conflict as it continues with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

But Putin on Monday offered support to Iran, saying that he was hoping for peace soon and that Iran would navigate this "difficult period" of war, according to Russia's state news agency.

"For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible," the RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying during his meeting with Araghchi.

Araghchi landed in Russia on Monday following trips to mediators Pakistan and Oman to discuss the Middle East conflict, as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington remain on hold.

What to know about negotiations to end the Iran war

Iran is said to have offered the US a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the Associated Press and Axios reported. Axios said Tehran wanted nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage.

US President Donald Trump appeared to have acknowledged the proposal, with a White House spokesperson telling Bloomberg News on Saturday that the "US holds the cards" in negotiations.

Iran's Fars news agency said that efforts are still ongoing to create conditions for a second round of US-Iran talks, saying that Tehran had sent "written messages" to Washington via mediator Pakistan.

US to blame for talks failure: Araghchi

According to the AFP news agency, which cited Iranian state media, upon arrival in Moscow, Araghchi said the US was responsible for the failure of the first round of negotiations in Pakistan in mid-April. 

"The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Araghchi was quoted as saying.

He also said that "safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue."

The strait's effective closure amid the conflict has led to massive disruptions in the global oil and gas supply.

Iran pushing regional diplomacy 

Araghchi's trips come against the background of the stalled negotiations with the US, as both sides have rejected several of each other's demands.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying talks there would amount to "sitting around talking about nothing."

Araghchi met in Pakistan with the country's military chief, Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday.

He then traveled to Oman before returning to Islamabad once more and then setting off for Russia to meet Putin. 

Araghchi said on X that his talks in Oman had focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between Oman and Iran.

More and more US military members don't want to go to war

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US maintains pressure on Iran 

Washington has maintained an increased pressure on Tehran, including a blockade of its fossil fuel exports, as it calls upon the country to abandon its uranium enrichment program, saying it is aimed at building nuclear weapons. 

Tehran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse