Live updates: Iran’s top diplomat returns to Pakistan despite Trump cancelling envoys’ visit

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has visited key mediators in Pakistan and Oman on Sunday, and he is next heading to Russia, highlighting the countries’ long standing partnership.

Russia has remained a critical diplomatic ally for Iran throughout the conflict with the United States. The Kremlin has repeatedly offered to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium, proposing to store or reprocess it on Russian soil.

While this could theoretically resolve some of the key US demands in negotiations to end its war with Iran, US President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer, presumably wanting to stave off Moscow – already a global leader in nuclear energy – from gaining even more leverage.

Beyond uranium, Iran and Russia signed a 20-year treaty in January 2025 strengthening their economic, military and political partnership. Russia views US strikes on Iran as “unprovoked aggression,” but crucially, the agreement signed by Tehran and Moscow stopped short of a mutual-defense pact.

Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he “highly appreciated” Islamabad’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US in a call with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar, while voicing Moscow’s “readiness to contribute.”

In March, CNN reported that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue – the first indication that Moscow sought to get involved in the war.

Araghchi’s trip to Moscow on Monday is a sign that Tehran will be looking to consult its partners in the Kremlin amid the conflict.

This post has been corrected to reflect that Araghchi’s visit to Moscow will take place on Monday.