Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in West Asia, as the two met in the Russian city of St Petersburg on Monday.
“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,” according to Russian state media TASS.
Moscow and Tehran, both subject to tough western sanctions, have been close partners for years, with Moscow providing Iran both diplomatic cover for Iran at the UN, as well as military technology, and intelligence, while Tehran has in turn provided the Kremlin with its network of shadow fleets to bypass Western restrictions, and suicide drones for its war in Ukraine.
Araghchi’s diplomatic visit to Russia follows recent stops in Pakistan and Oman, which have acted as mediators between Iran and the US. The Iranian foreign minister earlier said that Washington’s excessive demands caused negotiations to fail in Islamabad.
Despite their failure, Araghchi nonetheless praised them as fruitful and productive, stating “We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent [meetings] and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on.”
He also mentioned the consultations he had held in Oman. “Oman is a friendly country that is close to us; it has taken a very good stance in the war. We and Oman are the two coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz so we needed to hold consultations on the matter.
“The safe passage of ships through the strait is an important global issue and as the two countries that control the strait, we and Oman need to maintain close coordination to ensure our mutual interests.”
