MIDDLE-EAST (Reuters): Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.
Araqchi also called for regional countries to work toward a joint security arrangement.
"We welcome any initiative that leads to security from within without the presence of foreign forces, and consider it the right move," Araqchi said.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Iranian counterpart Araghchi in Tehran on Monday, with diplomatic delegations from both countries beginning talks immediately afterward, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported, Bernama-Anadolu Ajansi reported.
Lavrov arrived in Tehran on Monday for an official visit to hold talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations and regional and international developments.
The meeting between Lavrov and Araghchi was followed by consultations between the Iranian and Russian diplomatic delegations, according to IRIB.
Lavrov is also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the visit, IRIB said, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
Baqaei said the visit is part of ongoing bilateral consultations and efforts to follow up on agreements between the two countries.
Iran and Russia have strengthened political, economic and military cooperation in recent years amid Western sanctions imposed on both countries.
In January 2025, Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in Moscow, covering cooperation in defense, security, energy, trade and transportation.
The agreement also provides for closer coordination on regional and international issues, although it does not establish a mutual defense obligation.
