ISTANBUL

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Kremlin to discuss indirect negotiations between Iran and the US, as well as Russian-American consultations, according to the Iranian diplomat.

“I told the Russian president about the current situation in the indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, we held consultations on this matter. Russian-American negotiations on Ukraine and other issues were also discussed. Our Russian friends gave us the necessary information,” Araghchi said at a reception at the Iranian Embassy in Moscow marking Iranian Army Day, cited by the TASS news agency.

He also conveyed a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to Putin during the meeting.

Upon arriving in Moscow, Araghchi said he intended to consult with Russian officials on the nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

He is scheduled to hold talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 18.

Indirect talks between US Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Araghchi took place April 12 in Oman.

Both sides described it as “constructive,” with Araghchi expressing an appreciation to Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi for facilitating the dialogue.

The second round of negotiations is expected to be held in Rome on April 19.

The meeting comes ahead of the second round of US-Iran talks in Rome this weekend.

The two countries held talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in Oman last weekend that both sides described as positive and constructive.

Russia is one of the signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal from which US President Donald Trump withdrew during his first term in 2018.