US-Iran Tensions: Continuing a fast-moving diplomatic tour that has taken him across several countries in less than three days, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday (April 28) after wrapping up meetings in Russia. According to Press TV, this is his third visit to Pakistan within 48 hours.
The repeated stops in Islamabad come as part of diplomatic outreach that also includes recent visits to Oman and Russia. His back-to-back travel has brought attention to Pakistan’s role in hosting and facilitating indirect communication channels associated to ongoing exchanges involving Iran and the United States.
Meetings across capitals
Araghchi’s travel began with high-level talks in Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. In a post shared on Telegram after the meeting, he said the talks lasted more than an hour and a half and covered bilateral ties as well as regional developments.
He said the talks also included what he described as “war and aggression” involving the United States and Israel. According to his statement, these issues were reviewed in detail during the meeting.
He added that both sides also discussed expanding cooperation between Tehran and Moscow and exchanged ideas on strengthening ties. He described Iran-Russia relations as a “strategic partnership” and thanked Russia for its position during the war, saying Iran has “great friends and allies like Russia”.
Russia’s position and regional focus
Iranian state media reported that President Putin expressed support for efforts aimed at restoring peace in West Asia. He also said Moscow would support Tehran’s interests and work toward stability in the region, expressing hope that peace would return soon.
He was also quoted saying that Russia would do what it could to support Iran and other regional countries in efforts to ease tensions.
US reviewing proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz
In Washington, the White House confirmed that it is reviewing a proposal submitted by Iran that sets out steps to end the ongoing conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had discussed the proposal with his national security team. She added that the proposal was under discussion and that further details would be shared by the president.
The proposal, as per reports, suggests reopening the Strait of Hormuz as part of an initial step to ease tensions, with nuclear negotiations expected to follow at a later stage.
What the visits show
Araghchi’s repeated visits to Pakistan along with parallel meetings in Russia and Oman point to a diplomatic effort involving multiple regional actors. With proposals under review in Washington and talks continuing across capitals, talks around possible de-escalation are moving through several channels at the same time.
