Iranian FM eyes Moscow talks with Putin as missiles fly between Tehran and Tel Aviv

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Moscow on June 23 for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Araghchi confirmed his upcoming trip during an interview with NBC, following earlier reports from diplomatic sources cited by Axios.

The visit comes after a series of high-level diplomatic engagements.

On June 20, Araghchi met in Geneva with the foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, along with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. The discussions focused primarily on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Following the Geneva meeting, Kallas stated that all parties had agreed to reconvene for further talks, not only on the nuclear issue but also on broader regional and international concerns. Araghchi confirmed Tehran’s readiness to participate in the next round of discussions. The meeting lasted more than two hours.

On June 21, Araghchi arrived in Istanbul to meet with diplomats from the League of Arab States. The focus of that gathering is the ongoing escalation between Iran and Israel.

Since mid-June, Iran and Israel have been engaged in direct military confrontation. Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which it claims is aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran initiated Operation True Promise 3, targeting Israeli military sites.

The ongoing hostilities have resulted in casualties in both countries, with neither side showing signs of halting the exchange of strikes.

By Tamilla Hasanova