Iran Foreign Minister Arrives Russia as US Talks Stall

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has arrived in Russia as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington hang in the balance, following a commotion of regional diplomacy and the collapse of planned talks in Pakistan.

Araghchi visited Oman between trips to Islamabad and is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to Iran’s envoy to Moscow.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, dismissing it as “sitting around talking about nothing.” Trump later told Fox News in an interview that if Iran wanted talks, “they can come to us, or they can call us.”

In a sign that efforts remain ongoing, Iran’s Fars news agency said Tehran had sent “written messages” to the Americans via mediator Pakistan, detailing red lines on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran has so far held, but its economic shockwaves continue globally. Iran has sealed off the strait, cutting oil and gas flows and raising fears of food insecurity.

The Revolutionary Guards said on Telegram: “Controlling the Strait of Hormuz is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran.” The US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports in retaliation.

Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah traded blame over violations of the fragile Lebanon ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was vigorously targeting the Iran-backed militia.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south killed 14 people, including two children, while Netanyahu insisted on “freedom of action not only to respond to attacks but also to pre-empt immediate threats.”