Iranian foreign minister returns to Pakistan before heading to Moscow for meeting with Putin

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Pakistan on Sunday before heading to Moscow for a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to AP, Pakistan’s foreign ministry and later regional reporting.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Araghchi was visiting to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including trade, the economy, energy and developments in the Middle East. AP reported that he returned to Pakistan after a stop in Oman and was continuing a diplomatic circuit that has kept Islamabad involved in efforts around Iran and the United States.

Dawn reported, citing a diplomatic source, that Araghchi had arrived back in Pakistan after his Oman visit and would meet senior Pakistani officials during a short stay. Later reporting said Iran’s ambassador to Moscow indicated Araghchi would travel on to Russia and meet Putin on April 27.

The travel underscores how diplomacy around Iran is being pushed through several capitals at once, with Pakistan still trying to keep a regional channel alive even after the planned U.S. envoy trip was canceled.

Why the trip matters

Pakistan has been positioning itself as a mediator in the broader Iran-U.S. talks. Araghchi’s stop in Islamabad, followed by the Moscow leg, suggests Tehran is keeping multiple diplomatic lines open at once.

The scheduled Putin meeting also matters because Russia remains one of Iran’s most important external partners as the regional situation shifts.

What comes next

The immediate question is whether the Moscow meeting takes place as planned on Monday and whether Araghchi’s Pakistan stop yields any visible progress on regional diplomacy.