US President Trump is ready to hold a situation room meeting with his top national security and foreign policy team to discuss the stalemate in negotiations with Iran and the next steps , Axios reports, citing three US officials.
And while Pakistan continues its mediation efforts to bring the parties closer despite recent failures, today Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meet in St. Petersburg.
The president emphasized that Russia will do everything possible, in the interests of Iran and other countries in the region, "to bring peace to the Middle East as quickly as possible." Putin also said he received a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week. "Last week, I received a message from the Supreme Leader of Iran. I would like to ask you to convey my sincere gratitude and to confirm that Russia, like Iran, intends to continue our strategic relations," Putin said.
Araghchi emphasized that relations between Russia and Iran represent a strategic partnership and "will be strengthened." "For us," he clarified, "Iranian-Russian relations represent a strategic partnership of the highest level. We will continue on this path."
The meeting between the Russian leader and the Iranian Foreign Minister took place in the Petrovsky Hall of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library. The Russian delegation included Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Advisor Yuri Ushakov, and the head of Military Intelligence, Igor Kostyukov.
In addition to Araghchi, the Iranian delegation included Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali.
(Unioneonline/vl)
