Tehran, IRNA – Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says he will be carrying a message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin during an upcoming trip to Moscow.
“The purpose of my trip to Russia is to convey the Leader’s written message to Russia’s leadership, which will be delivered during a meeting with Mr. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president,” Araqchi told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The remarks come ahead of a second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, which according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei will be held in the Omani capital, Muscat, on April 19. A first round was held also in Muscat on April 12.
Separately, Araqchi said contradictory statements by Steve Witkoff, the United States’ chief negotiator in the Oman talks, were not helpful. “We have been hearing positions expressed by the American side which have sometimes been contradictory; that will help the negotiating process in no way,” he said.
The foreign minister warned that if the U.S. side continues with its conflicting stances, “work will be made difficult.”
Witkoff earlier said Iran “must stop and eliminate” its nuclear enrichment program to reach a deal with Washington. That statement, made on Tuesday, appeared to contradict his suggestion a day earlier that the U.S. would be fine with Iran enriching uranium at a low level to produce energy.
Araqchi once again called on Washington to avoid applying pressure on Iran. “If negotiations are based on equal footing and are held in a respectful atmosphere, they can proceed. But nothing will come of pressure and imposition.”
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