iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Russia on Monday to meet with President Vladimir Putin as talks with the United States continue to struggle.
Before arriving in St. Petersburg, Araghchi said earlier talks with the United States had failed because of what he called “excessive” demands, Russian state media reported. newsweek.
Although the President of the United States Donald Trump Although the ceasefire agreement reached on April 7 has been extended, a permanent agreement is still far away. Araghchi’s visit to Russia follows visits to Pakistan and Oman, a sign that Iran is trying different countries to help advance negotiations.
A major issue in the talks is Iran’s large supply of enriched uranium. Trump calls it “nuclear fallout” and wants Iran to hand it over. Experts say Russia can help in this regard. Hamidreza Azizi of SWP Berlin told Newsweek that a similar system was used in the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran shipped enriched uranium to Russia and received nuclear fuel in return.
“Russia has repeatedly expressed its willingness to play a similar role again, which makes Araghchi’s visit to Moscow particularly important in the context of efforts to resolve one of the core sticking points of the negotiations,” Aziz said.
What did Russia bring?
Russia is one of the few countries that talks to the United States, Israel and Iran simultaneously, making it an important intermediary player. But experts say Russia also has its own interests.
Vuk Vuksanovic of IDEAS at the London School of Economics told Newsweek that “Russia benefits from America’s re-engagement in the Middle East and from reduced attention and resources to the war in Ukraine.”
He added, “Russia also sees economic benefits from higher energy prices and the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, but there are also diplomatic benefits: U.S. prestige in the wider Islamic world and the global South is reduced, which always benefits Moscow and Beijing.”
Experts also say that if Russia provides help, it may demand something in return, and that the reward may be related to Ukraine.
Iran and Russia already have close ties. The two parties also signed a strategic partnership in January 2025.
according to independentRussia has provided or agreed to provide advanced air defense systems such as the S-300, and has assisted Iran in missile and satellite technology. The two countries also cooperate on surveillance systems, and Russia has used Iranian drones in its war in Ukraine.
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazim Jalali clearly described this relationship, saying that the two countries “are a united front in the movement of the world’s totalitarian forces against independent and justice-seeking countries and countries seeking a world free of unilateralism and Western domination.”
Also follow: Real-time updates on the US-Iraq war
Can Russia really save Iran?
According to Newsweek, although Iran is reaching out to Russia, experts say Moscow cannot fully help or save Iran.
Aurelien Colson of ESSEC Business School told Newsweek that Iran may need Russian support and global support, but it won’t be enough.
He said: “It can manipulate, hinder and complicate Western diplomacy, but it cannot provide decisive military, economic or diplomatic support that fundamentally changes the situation in Iran.”
He also cited past examples of Russia’s failure to adequately protect allies such as Bashar al-Assad and Nicolas Maduro.
“For its part, Iran also looks more like an overextended opportunist than a reliable protector,” Colson said.
“Russia still has a role to play, but it is secondary and essentially negative,” he added.
Trump’s response
According to the Independent, trump card Played down concerns about Russia’s support for Iran. Referring to reports of Moscow sharing intelligence, he said:
“I don’t know, look, they can provide all the information they want, but the people they send it to will be overwhelmed. Russia will be overwhelmed. Anyone will be overwhelmed.”
He added, “They’re going to say we’re doing this against them. Won’t they say we’re doing this against them?”
Regarding negotiations with Iran, Trump said during a Sunday briefing on Fox News, “If they want to talk, they can come to us, they can call us. You know, there are phones. We have good, secure lines.”
