Araghchi heads to Moscow after ‘second Islamabad stop’ as Pakistan-led peace push gains pace

• Iranian FM makes second Pakistan visit in two days after Muscat consultations as diplomatic momentum builds to avert wider regional escalation

• Tehran’s regional shuttle diplomacy intensifies amid efforts to end US-Iran war

• Talks in Islamabad focus on Strait of Hormuz, blockade and wartime compensation

• Iran says latest consultations unrelated to nuclear negotiations

• Trump says Tehran can ‘call’ if it wants talks, terms offer insufficient

• Amb Moghadam thanks govt, military and people of Pakistan, particularly PM and Field Marshal Munir, for ‘tireless efforts’ and a ‘good office initiative’

 ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for Moscow on Sunday after a brief stop in Pakistan, his second visit to Islamabad in as many days following a trip to Muscat as part of his three-nation diplomatic tour, as US President Donald Trump said Iran could reach out if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war in the Middle East.

FM Araghchi’s regional shuttle diplomacy comes amid intensified efforts — notably involving Pakistan — to bring Tehran and Washington back to the negotiating table in a bid to end the conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Diplomatic sources said Araghchi arrived at Nur Khan Airbase after completing a day-long visit to Muscat, where he held consultations as part of Tehran’s broader regional diplomatic outreach.

During his brief stay in Islamabad, the Iranian foreign minister was expected to meet senior Pakistani officials before departing for Moscow for further consultations, the sources said.

 In a late-night post on X, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, confirmed the conclusion of Araghchi’s second round of talks in Pakistan.

At the end of This round of the visit of the Iranian delegation, H.E. Syyed Abbas Araghchi, Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs to Pakistan at the onset of the regional diplomatic tour, which was carried out with the aim of reviewing bilateral relations and consulting on the…

— Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) April 26, 2026

He thanked the government, military and people of Pakistan, particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for what he described as “tireless efforts” and a “good office initiative” aimed at ending the war and restoring lasting peace in the region.

Moghadam said, like the previous round, the latest visit was conducted in a secure and stable environment, praising Pakistan’s planning, coordination and hospitality.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that Araghchi’s latest discussions with Pakistani officials would include key regional security issues, including a proposed new legal framework governing the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for wartime losses, guarantees against renewed military aggression, and the lifting of the naval blockade imposed on Iran.

According to Tasnim News Agency, the talks are unrelated to Iran’s nuclear programme and are focused solely on war-related diplomatic and strategic matters.

In Washington, Trump said Iran remained free to initiate contact if it wanted to negotiate.

Speaking in Florida after cancelling a planned envoy-level visit, Trump said the Iranian offer made through diplomatic channels was “a lot, but not enough,” signalling that Washington remained unconvinced by Tehran’s latest position.

An earlier round of talks in Islamabad — led by Vice President JD Vance for the US side and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — ended without any breakthrough.

Following the cancellation of the latest diplomatic engagement, two Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrying US security personnel, equipment and vehicles used for official protection departed Pakistan on Sunday, according to two Pakistani government sources.

The back-to-back diplomatic movements underscore the fluid regional situation as efforts to revive dialogue and prevent further escalation continue.

Iran FM to meet Putin on Moscow trip: Iranian media

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow on Monday, AFP reports, citing Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Tehran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said that Araghchi will meet Putin and “consult with Russian officials regarding the latest status of the negotiations, ceasefire, and surrounding developments”, and present a report on negotiations to end the war with the United States and Israel.

Visit to Oman and Meeting with Sultan

Earlier in Oman, Araghchi met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and briefed him “on the Iranian side’s perspectives” regarding the regional developments and the peace efforts, Oman’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X.

حضرة صاحبِ الجلالة السلطان هيثم بن طارق المُعظم - حفظه الله ورعاه - يستقبل بقصر البركة العامر، معالي الدكتور سيد عباس عراقجي وزير خارجية الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية ، جرى خلال المقابلة التشاور حول مستجدات الأوضاع في المنطقة، وجهود الوساطة والمساعي الرامية إلى إنهاء النزاعات،…

— وزارة الخارجية (@FMofOman) April 26, 2026

Araghchi “listened to His Majesty’s views on ways to advance these efforts in a manner that enhances opportunities for reaching sustainable political solutions and limits the repercussions of crises on the peoples of the region”, the statement said.

It added that the sultan affirmed the importance of prioritising the language of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing issues, in a way that contributed to consolidating the foundations of peace.

Araghchi expressed Iran’s appreciation for Oman’s positions in “supporting dialogue efforts and enhancing endeavours for security and stability in the region, especially amid the current regional challenges”, the statement said.

Separately, Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the security in the Strait of Hormuz and broader Gulf waters and diplomatic efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran were discussed during the meeting.

It quoted Araghchi as saying the US military presence in the Middle East was fuelling insecurity and division. It said he called for a regional security framework free of outside interference during the meeting.

Separately, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that he also held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and discussed regional developments and ongoing diplomatic processes.

Later, state-run news agency IRNA reported that he also held a phone call with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and exchanged views on the “latest regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts”.

 Egypt’s FM speaks with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has discussed efforts to relaunch negotiations between the US and Iran with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Egyptian foreign ministry statement.

In separate calls with the ministers, Abdelatty affirmed the importance of the diplomatic path to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire in a way that leads to an end to the war, the statement said.

Araghchi hands over Iran’s proposals

Araghchi earlier arrived in Islamabad on Friday night and handed over Tehran’s response to US proposals for ending the war during meetings with Pakistan’s civil and military leadership before leaving for Oman on Saturday.

He departed for Muscat after a day of intensive consultations, reportedly abo­ard a Gulfstream G600 owned by the Pakistan military. Neither the Pakistani military nor the Iranian officials confirmed or denied this. This suggested Pakistani facilitation of his regional tour to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

A Pakistani source involved in the process said the Iranian side had delivered both its proposals and its perspective on the American proposals. Sources said Iran emphasised its terms while indicating readiness to remain engaged in shaping a future diplomatic course.

Officials familiar with the discussions said Tehran stressed that any framework must be “rational and fair” and maintained that negotiations cannot proceed under pressure, particularly in the presence of the naval blockade of Iranian ports by the US. At the same time, the Iranian side signalled willingness to stay engaged through Pakistan’s mediation but insisted that it would not accept terms seen as undermining its sovereignty or security interests.

No details of the proposals were made public.

The visit unfolded amid indications earlier from Washington that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner would travel to Islamabad to engage with the Iranian delegation. However, as Araghchi departed for Moscow, US President Donald Trump called off the trip.

 Stalemate in negotiations

Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engaged in feverish diplomacy, seeking to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table after the first round of talks in Islamabad yielded no result.

The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, following a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8. It had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown.

However, the expected second round of negotiations witnessed a delay due to continued friction between the US and Iran, particularly regarding Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade of Iran’s ports.

Meanwhile, Trump has announced an extension in the ceasefire until Tehran submits a “unified proposal” and “discussions are concluded, one way or the other”.

The US has, however, maintained its blockade of Iranian ports.

On the other hand, the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply used to pass during peacetime — also remains blocked.

After the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28, Tehran responded by shutting down the strait and later announced it would charge vessels using the maritime route. The US earlier this month blockaded Iranian ports to stop its oil exports and returned over 30 ships leaving Iranian ports.

Unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the issues at the core of the impasse between the US and Iran. Another point of contention is Washington’s demand for long-term commitments on Iran’s nuclear programme, including constraints on enrichment and safeguards against weaponisation.

 Iran will not negotiate under pressure, threats or siege: President Pezeshkian

Iran will not enter into negotiations under pressure, threats or siege, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to Mehr News on Sunday.

Iran will not enter into negotiations under pressure, threats, and siege, President Masoud Pezeshkian says.https://t.co/lZ5UMan6h9

— Mehr News Agency (@MehrnewsCom) April 26, 2026

He criticised what he described as continued violations and coercive conduct by the United States during both ceasefire negotiations and their implementation.

Pezeshkian said Washington’s so-called maritime restrictions on Iran amounted to a clear breach of ceasefire understandings and were inconsistent with the United Nations Charter. Such measures, alongside what he called threatening rhetoric, had raised doubts about the US commitment to the diplomatic process.

Reaffirming Iran’s resolve to safeguard its national security, he warned that any renewed confrontation involving the United States and Israel could have serious consequences for both regional and global stability.