Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on April 27, 2026. DMITRY LOVETSKY/AFP
Iran has been seeking to break out of the strategic deadlock that could result from the current indefinite ceasefire, which United States President Donald Trump declared on April 21. On Monday, April 27, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up a diplomatic tour that saw him travel to Pakistan and Oman – both of which have served as mediators in recent US-Iran negotiations – and then to Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. In Pakistan, Araghchi met with his counterpart, Ishaq Dar, as well as other political and military leaders. In Muscat, he held talks with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.
Iran aims to extract itself from an uncomfortable situation, one of "neither war nor peace," by putting forward a "new formula" for negotiations based on the idea of progressively restoring trust with Washington, all while increasing the involvement of regional actors and postponing the most complex issues, such as the nuclear program, to a later stage of talks. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, which has close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a three-step plan, which follows this approach, was conveyed to Washington via mediators during the tour.
