Abbas Araghchi will communicate with ‘senior officers’ in Moscow, Iran’s International Ministry says.
Printed On 26 Apr 2026
Iran’s high diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has left Islamabad for Moscow, the Iranian Ministry of International Affairs stated, as mediators hope to maintain the prospect of extra Tehran-Washington talks alive.
Araghchi sandwiched a visit to Muscat, Oman, in between visits to the Pakistani capital, leaving on Sunday to be in Russia the next day. However there was no indication that direct talks between Iran and the US would resume.
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Nonetheless, in an indication that oblique efforts have been ongoing, the Fars information company reported that Iran had transmitted “written messages” to the People through mediator Pakistan, which have been “about a number of the pink traces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, together with nuclear points and the Strait of Hormuz”.
However the messages weren’t a part of any negotiations, Fars stated.
US President Donald Trump final week indefinitely prolonged the ceasefire that Washington and Tehran agreed to on April 7, which has largely halted the preventing that started with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
However a everlasting settlement remains elusive, and the financial shockwaves of the war proceed to reverberate across the globe.
Iran has successfully blocked the important Strait of Hormuz, reducing off huge portions of oil, pure fuel and fertiliser from the worldwide market, and sending costs hovering. The US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports in response.
There had been hopes for a brand new spherical of talks on Saturday, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner because of go to Islamabad, however Trump later advised Fox Information he had scrapped the trip, saying there was no level “sitting round speaking about nothing”.
On Sunday, Trump advised the identical channel: “I stated, we’re not doing this any extra. We’ve all of the playing cards. In the event that they wish to speak, they will come to us, or they will name us. You recognize, there’s a phone. We’ve good, safe traces”.
Requested earlier whether or not cancelling the journey meant a return to open hostilities, Trump stated: “No, it doesn’t imply that.”
Shuttle diplomacy
On Saturday, Araghchi met Pakistan’s navy chief, Asim Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Minister of International Affairs Ishaq Dar, earlier than flying on to Muscat. He returned to Islamabad on Sunday.
In Russia, Iran’s International Ministry stated he would communicate with “senior officers”.
Russia’s Ministry of International Affairs confirmed that Araghchi would go to Moscow, however didn’t say if he would meet President Vladimir Putin.
Amid the flurry of conferences, Araghchi signalled scepticism over Washington’s intentions, saying he had “but to see if the US is actually severe about diplomacy”.
