The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs left Islamabad for Moscow on Sunday, ahead of a meeting scheduled for Monday with Vladimir Putin. Mediators in the conflict in the Middle East are trying to maintain the momentum of peace negotiations despite Donald Trump's cancellation of the trip of an American delegation.
Published on: 04/26/2026 - 22:14
The diplomatic ballet of the head of Iranian diplomacy continues between Pakistan, Oman, and Russia. The Iranian Foreign Minister left Islamabad for Moscow on Sunday February 26, while mediators in the Middle East conflict strive to maintain the momentum of peace negotiations despite Donald Trump's cancellation of the trip of an American delegation.
According to the Iranian agency Isna, Abbas Araghchi was to convey to his Pakistani interlocutors - whose country is the main mediator between Tehran and Washington - Iran's "positions and points of view on the framework of any agreement aimed at completely ending the war".
Iran sent "written messages" to Washington via Pakistan on the "red lines of the Islamic Republic", concerning its nuclear program and the strategic Strait of Hormuz - which is the subject of a double Iranian and American blockade - for its part indicated the Fars agency.
Russian diplomacy, an ally of Tehran, confirmed Mr. Araghchi's arrival, but without specifying a date or whether he would meet Vladimir Putin.
Citing the Iranian ambassador in Moscow, the Iranian agency ISNA had earlier announced such a meeting on Monday, adding that Mr. Araghchi must present to Russian officials "a report on (the) negotiations" of peace.
Initially arriving in Islamabad on Friday evening, Mr. Araghchi spoke on Saturday with the powerful head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir, and the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, before heading to Oman, where he met in the morning with Sultan Haitham ben Tariq.
He also spoke by telephone with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, according to a source in the Turkish ministry.
The American president canceled on Saturday the planned trip to Pakistan of his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“I said we’re not going to do this anymore,” direct negotiations. "We hold all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us, we have very good secure phone lines," he said on Fox News on Sunday.
“We have done a very good job, it will end soon, and we will be very victorious,” he added.
The first Iranian-American discussions were held two weeks ago in Islamabad, after a ceasefire agreement in the conflict which has left thousands dead, especially in Iran and Lebanon, and shaken the world economy.
Truce punctuated by violence in Lebanon
On the Lebanese front, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah mutually accused each other on Sunday of violating the truce, punctuated by violence, in force since April 17 and which Donald Trump announced the extension for three weeks on Thursday.
The Israeli army, which continued its strikes on southern Lebanon on Sunday after issuing an evacuation order to the residents of seven villages, indicated that one of its soldiers had been killed and six others wounded in "fighting" in this region.
She previously said she had intercepted three drones shortly before they crossed the Israeli border.
AFP correspondents saw many residents of southern Lebanon fleeing again, stuck in heavy traffic jams heading north.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting the pro-Iranian group to prevent "planned, imminent or ongoing" attacks.
“Hezbollah’s violations effectively dismantle the ceasefire,” Mr. Netanyahu accused. Rejecting the accusations, Hezbollah said it would continue to respond to Israel's "continued violations" of the ceasefire.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported seven people killed Saturday by Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.
In a new report, he recorded more than 2,500 people killed by Israeli operations since the Shiite movement reopened hostilities with Israel on March 2.
With AFP
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