Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Monday, as President Donald Trump reviewed a new Iranian proposal on the Strait of Hormuz. Putin expressed strong support for Iran amid its conflict with the US and Israel. The visit follows Araghchi's diplomatic tour of Pakistan and Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Boris Yeltsky Presidential Library. Putin voiced support for Iran's 'courageous and heroic' fight for sovereignty, according to Russia's Tass news agency. He also acknowledged a message from Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, whom the Trump administration says was injured in the US-Israel military campaign launched on February 28, and asked Araghchi to convey his gratitude and best wishes. Putin pledged that Russia would do everything possible to help secure peace in the Middle East, Russian state media reported, while Araghchi blamed excessive US demands for derailing recent talks. Araghchi's multi-stop tour included visits to Pakistan and Oman, where he emphasized safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz for neighbors and the world. The strait, vital for one-fifth of global oil and gas, remains closed by Iran with a US naval blockade on Iranian ports causing traffic to plummet to just seven vessels in the past day from a normal 125-140, per Reuters. Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi called for practical solutions to free seafarers and ensure navigation. In Washington, Trump met his national security team to discuss Iran's proposal to reopen the strait in exchange for ending the US blockade, postponing nuclear talks, according to the Associated Press. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the discussion but stressed Trump's red lines on eradicating Iran's nuclear program. Trump stated, 'We have all the cards.' At a UN meeting chaired by Bahrain, ambassadors urged reopening the strait, with US Ambassador Mike Waltz calling it not Iran's 'bargaining chip,' while Russia and China blamed Western actions.
