Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hails Moscow and Tehran’s ‘strategic relationship’ as he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on the Iran war.
Addressing reporters in St Petersburg, Araghchi says Iran is “standing up to the world’s greatest superpower [the US],” adding that Washington has “not achieved a single one of their goals”.
“That is why they have requested negotiations and we are looking into it,” he adds. We have not heard from Washington.
Iran’s top diplomat says the war showed that Iran “has great friends and allies like Russia,” as he thanked the Kremlin for their support.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says Russia is ready to offer “goodwill or mediation services” in future negotiations between Iran and the US.
Back in Russia Sergei Lavrov, the country’s foreign minister, has given a positive assessment of the talks between Russian and Iranian delegations in St Petersburg.
They were “useful”, state TASS news agency quoted Lavrov as telling journalists after the meeting.
The negotiations lasted for “about 1.5 hours”, Interfax added.
Earlier, Putin offered Araghchi Russia’s support in ending the Iran war, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to mediate in reaching a peace deal.
Moscow is keen to show it’s still a player in the Middle East.
It comes after Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip by US officials to Pakistan over the weekend for talks on the Iran war, claiming it would be wasting “too much time”.
At a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi in St Petersburg, President Putin said that last week he had received a message from Iran’s Supreme leader.
He didn’t disclose the details.
The Kremlin leader said the Iranian nation was “fighting for its sovereignty” and that he would “do everything that serves [Iran’s] interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region to ensure that peace comes as soon as possible”.
Kremlin has already been doing something for Iran: sharing intelligence with Iran.
The two countries are close allies. They have a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, although Moscow is not treaty-bound to provide military assistance to Tehran. And the Russians have been keen to maintain a working relationship with the Gulf states, Israel and the Trump administration.
Still, last month European intelligence agencies warned that Moscow may be ready to deliver advanced drone technology to Tehran. Iran will welcome any military and economic assistance Russia can provide.
Taking part in the talks was Igor Kostyukov, head of Russian military intelligence.
For its part, Moscow is keen to show it’s still a player in the Middle East.
Russia has previously offered to mediate in the crisis and suggested it could store Iran’s enriched uranium. Washington has not taken up the offer.
High global oil prices sparked by the war have produced a financial windfall for Russia which is earning more now from its energy exports.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, strikes continue – over the weekend the country’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed 14 people on Sunday Israel’s military says an IDF soldier was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack.
The death toll in Lebanon since Israel began its recent offensive against Hezbollah has risen to 2,521, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA).
The NNA reports that a further 7,804 people have been wounded. The BBC has not independently verified these figures.
