Iran's Foreign Minister Meets Putin in Russia as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Remain Stalled

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Monday after a rapid diplomatic circuit that took him to Pakistan, Oman, and then Russia over the course of the weekend. Araghchi said the visit was "a good opportunity to consult with our Russian colleagues regarding the developments related to the war," according to Iranian state media. Putin told Araghchi that Russia saw "how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence," Russian state news agency TASS reported. Putin also said he had received a written message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, TASS added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the meeting as one whose "importance is difficult to overestimate."

The diplomatic push came after U.S.-Iran negotiations faltered over the weekend. Trump canceled the planned Islamabad trip of envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday, citing what he described as "infighting and confusion" within Iranian leadership and saying the journey would result in too much time spent traveling with little prospect of a breakthrough. Trump said on Sunday that Iranian officials "can call" his administration if they wish to negotiate, adding that "we have all the cards." The White House said Monday it would not negotiate through the press and that Trump "holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first."

During his stop in Pakistan, Araghchi gave Pakistani officials a list of Iran's "red lines" to be conveyed to the United States, including on "nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz," Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported. Iran's state media said the red lines exchange was intended to "clarify" Iran's position, not to constitute formal negotiations. In Oman, Araghchi said "some agreements have been reached" on the strait, though Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, in a post on X, described only "a good discussion" and made no mention of signed agreements. Both countries described their shared interest as coastal states in ensuring safe navigation through the strait.

Iran has submitted a new proposal under which the war would end and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen in a first phase, with discussions on nuclear matters deferred to a later stage, according to reporting by CNN and the Examiner. The White House has not publicly accepted the proposal. Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was described by the Examiner as one of Trump's stated primary reasons for the conflict. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf responded to Trump's "cards" language on social media, posting an economic equation he said demonstrated challenges for the United States.

Brent crude rose approximately 2.5% to nearly $108 a barrel on Monday, a three-week high, according to CNN. Goldman Sachs raised its fourth-quarter Brent price forecast to $90 a barrel from $80, citing lower supply from the Middle East. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has run at about 5% of pre-war daily averages, according to CNN, citing marine intelligence firm Kpler. An energy analyst at Kpler told NPR that Iran's oil storage situation is strained but that Iran has roughly 20 days of capacity remaining at current production levels, a longer runway than the "three days" Trump cited in a Fox News interview on Sunday.