Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Saint Petersburg on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Iran intensified diplomatic efforts to end its war with the United States amid stalled negotiations. The visit follows a whirlwind of regional diplomacy — including stops in Muscat and Islamabad — and comes after Iran reportedly submitted a new proposal via Pakistani mediators to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to global oil markets, currently blockaded by both Iran and the US) and end the war, while deferring nuclear negotiations to a later stage. US President Donald Trump, who cancelled a planned visit to Islamabad by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner after Iran signalled it would not meet them there, said Sunday that Tehran could call Washington or come directly if it wanted to resume talks, adding that the US held the stronger hand in any eventual agreement.
Mosaic News
Iran's Araghchi meets Putin in Russia as Tehran floats new Hormuz deal to break peace deadlock[Updated]
Trump publicly rejected Iran's three-stage proposal on Tuesday, claiming Tehran had contacted him directly to say it was economically broken and wanted the blockade lifted — an account Iranian officials denied. CNN reported that Araghchi will consult with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei upon returning from Russia before submitting a revised proposal, though communications with Khamenei have been complicated by his undisclosed location. Qatar warned of the risk of a "frozen conflict," with Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari cautioning against any resolution that could be "thawed every time there is a political reason." The conflict is also approaching a legal threshold: under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, Trump has 60 days from the February 28 launch of operations to obtain congressional authorisation or wind down US military activity, including the naval blockade, with that deadline now imminent. Axios reported that outside hawks have urged Trump to resume military action to break the deadlock, while some advisers are pushing for additional sanctions pressure.
Oil markets remained rattled despite Tehran's offer, with Brent crude rising more than 1 percent to $109.42 per barrel as of Tuesday morning — up 11 percent from the same time last week and the last time the benchmark closed below $100. Ship-tracking data shows only seven vessels crossed the strait in a single day compared to a pre-war average of 140, while around 20,000 seafarers aboard hundreds of stranded vessels remain unable to transit the waterway. Putin told Araghchi that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace, as Araghchi blamed "excessive US demands" for the breakdown in dialogue; Secretary of State Rubio meanwhile described Iran as "serious" about a deal, citing its deteriorating economic conditions. The White House declined to comment publicly on Tehran's proposal, though Trump convened meetings with senior security advisers to assess it.