Saint Petersburg, April 28: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday said that Tehran is grateful for Russia’s solidarity and support for diplomacy as the war with the United States continues to escalate.

Araghchi on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg as the Kremlin reiterated its support for bringing peace to West Asia. He also held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Taking to X, Araghchi said, “Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux. Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership. As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy.”

Putin on Monday reiterated Russia’s support for peace in Iran.

“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the peoples of the region, to ensure that this peace is achieved as quickly as possible. You know our position well,” Russia’s Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying during the meeting with the visiting Iranian minister.

Putin stated that the people of Iran are fighting “courageously and heroically” for their sovereignty. He expressed hope that the people of Iran will overcome this “difficult period of trials and peace will come”. He also expressed Moscow’s readiness to bolster its ties with Tehran.

During the meeting, Araghchi conveyed the wishes of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to Putin. He mentioned that people of Iran, through their courage, were able to resist “US aggression”.

He expressed gratitude to Putin and Russia for their support of Iran and stated that the ties between Iran and Russia share a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will develop “regardless of everything that happens,” Tass reported.

Earlier in the day, Araghchi arrived in Russia’s St Petersburg to hold talks with President Putin. Upon arrival in St Petersburg, Araghchi was received by Russian officials and Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Speaking to IRNA, Jalali said Araghchi’s visit is part of “close consultations” between Iran and Russia as the two nations have similar approaches to regional and international issues. He further said that the Presidents of Iran and Russia have held three phone calls since the conflict began on February 28.

Araghchi arrived in Russia after concluding his visit to Oman amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia.

Iran and the US reached a two-week ceasefire starting on April 8. Later, the two nations held the first round of talks on April 11-12 aimed at ending the conflict. However, the talks collapsed after 21 hours of negotiations.

Moscow, April 27: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Russia’s St Petersburg on Monday to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin, local media reported on Monday.

Upon arrival in St Petersburg, Araghchi was received by Russian officials and Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali. According to Jalali, Araghchi and President Putin are set to hold talks in St Petersburg on Monday, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Speaking to IRNA, Jalali said discussions between Araghchi and President Putin will focus on developments after the joint strikes by the US and Israel against Iran.

Jalali said Araghchi’s visit is part of “close consultations” between Iran and Russia as the two nations have similar approaches to regional and international issues. He further said that the Presidents of Iran and Russia have held three phone calls since the conflict began on February 28.

Araghchi arrived in Russia after concluding his visit to Oman amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia.

Earlier, the Iranian FM held a meeting with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, discussing bilateral ties, regional developments, and ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the regional crisis.

During the meeting, Araghchi briefed Oman’s Sultan about Iran’s stance on the latest developments of the conflict. He expressed appreciation for Oman’s support for dialogue and promoting efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in the region, especially considering the current regional challenges, Iran’s Press TV reported.

Sultan Haitham highlighted Oman’s stance on advancing mediation efforts that would increase the chances of reaching sustainable political solutions and mitigate the impact of crises on the people of the region. He stressed the importance of using dialogue and diplomacy to resolve issues.

In a statement on X, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated: “We are in Muscat for an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman — FM Araghchi’s first to the region following the recent US-Israeli aggression, which has impacted the broader region. Iran continues to place great importance on its relations with Persian Gulf states and remains committed to strengthening mutual trust and constructive cooperation. The Oman–Iran relationship stands as a testament to Iran’s genuine pursuance of respectful and mutually beneficial relations with its neighbours in the South.”

The tensions in West Asia escalated after the US and Israel carried out a joint military operation against Iran on February 28. The joint military strikes killed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a large-scale military operation by Iran against Israel and the US bases in the Gulf nations. The conflict also led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered a global energy crisis.

Washington, April 27: Iran has presented the United States with a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage, according to a report, which cited a US official and two sources familiar with the matter.

According to US media outlet Axios, the proposal aims to break the current stalemate in the negotiations and bypass the internal disagreements within the Iranian leadership over the scope of nuclear concessions it is willing to make.

“But lifting the blockade and ending the war would remove President Trump’s leverage in any future talks to remove Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and convince Tehran to suspend enrichment — two primary war objectives for Trump,” the report said.

Meanwhile, citing three US officials, the report further noted that the US President is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on the conflict on Monday (local time) with his top national security and foreign policy team.

The sources told Axios that Trump’s team would discuss the stalemate in the talks and potential next steps.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday (local time), Trump signalled that he wants to continue the naval blockade to halt Iran’s oil exports, with an aim that it will get Tehran to give up in the coming times.

“When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system … if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships … what happens is that line explodes from within. … They say they only have about three days before that happens,” Trump was quoted as saying in the interview with Fox News by Axios.

This comes as tensions between the US and Iran deepened after the Islamabad talks ended without progress.