Iran Meets Top Russian Officials as US Negotiations Stall
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday (April 27) to meet with President Vladimir Putin, amid a stalemate in talks with the US over ending the eight-week-old war.
Araghchi called the visit necessary to coordinate with Russian officials after the US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic disrupted bilateral meetings, according to a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Telegram channel.
Simultaneously, an Axios report emerged that Tehran had signaled its readiness to accept an interim deal under which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to Washington's blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian media reported that Araghchi would convey to Pakistan, the so-called main mediator, that the conflict could be ended if the US lifted the naval blockade, agreed to a new legal framework for traffic in the strait, and provided assurances of no further military action against Iran.
In the plan, Iran also indicated that the issue of its nuclear program could be discussed later, according to the Axios report, which cited a US official and two sources familiar with the discussions.
The US has not commented on Iran's proposal, although President Donald Trump acknowledged Tehran's new plan on Saturday. The White House has insisted the US is "in control" and will only make a deal that prioritizes the interests of Americans and will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
For the market, an interim scheme restoring access to the Strait of Hormuz has the potential to reduce energy costs and the burden on the global economy, but the obstacle remains the US's condition linking easing the blockade to resolving the nuclear program. The variables to monitor are Washington's official response to the interim option, signals from Moscow following the Araghchi-Putin meeting, and whether there is a practical agreement on the framework for strait traffic and the status of the blockade. (gn)
Source: Newsmaker.id
