Iran’s foreign minister has met Russia’s president in St Petersburg, praising close ties between the two countries while fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Abbas Araghchi held talks with Vladimir Putin on Monday, describing the relationship between Iran and Russia as a “strategic partnership”.
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Speaking to reporters in St Petersburg, Araghchi said Tehran was confronting what he called “the world’s greatest superpower”, referring to the United States. He said Washington had failed to achieve its objectives and suggested the US had sought negotiations.
“We are standing up to the world’s greatest superpower,” Araghchi said. “They have not achieved a single one of their goals.”
He added that Iran had not yet received direct communication from Washington but said Tehran was considering the possibility of talks.
Russia offers mediation role
During the meeting, Putin signalled Moscow’s support for Tehran and indicated that Russia could play a role in diplomatic efforts.
According to the Kremlin, the Russian president told Araghchi he had received a message last week from Iran’s Supreme Leader, although he did not disclose its contents.
Putin described the Iranian nation as “fighting for its sovereignty” and said Russia would do everything possible to promote peace in the region while protecting the interests of Iran and neighbouring countries.
Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was prepared to offer mediation or other assistance if negotiations between Iran and the United States were to take place.
Russia has previously suggested it could help broker talks or store Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a possible settlement, though Washington has not accepted the proposal.
Delegations hold ‘useful’ talks
The meeting between Russian and Iranian delegations lasted about 90 minutes, according to Russian media reports.
Afterwards, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the discussions had been productive, describing them as “useful”.
Among those attending the talks was Igor Kostyukov, underscoring the security dimension of the relationship between the two countries.
Moscow and Tehran maintain a comprehensive strategic partnership, though Russia is not formally obliged to provide military assistance to Iran. At the same time, the Kremlin has sought to keep working relations with Gulf states, Israel and the US.
European intelligence agencies warned last month that Russia might supply advanced drone technology to Iran, though no such transfer has been publicly confirmed.
The conflict has also had economic implications. Higher global oil prices linked to the war have increased revenue from Russian energy exports.
Separately, former US president Donald Trump said a planned trip by American officials to Pakistan to discuss the conflict had been cancelled over the weekend, saying it would have taken “too much time”.
Fighting continues in Lebanon
While diplomatic contacts continued in Russia, violence persisted in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on Sunday killed 14 people. The Israeli military said one soldier from the Israel Defense Forces was killed in a drone attack by Hezbollah.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the death toll since Israel launched its latest offensive against Hezbollah has reached 2,521, with 7,804 people wounded. Those figures have not been independently verified.
The fighting marks the latest escalation along Israel’s northern frontier, as regional tensions remain high.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 28 April 2026
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