Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Moscow this week, ahead of a second round of talks with U.S. negotiators.
Araghchi’s Moscow trip follows his meeting with U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, on April 12 to address Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking a quick deal to curb Tehran’s hopes of ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Tehran is seeking the removal of U.S. sanctions.
The United States was previously party to a 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, whereby Iran agreed to limit its uranium stockpiles and avoid enriching uranium past certain levels, in exchange for a pause in sanctions.
In 2018, during his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 deal, reapplied economic sanctions against Iran, and called for a new and more comprehensive framework to cap Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran, in turn, has backed away from its commitments under the deal and expanded its nuclear development activities.
China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK remain parties to the 2015 deal.
Speaking at an April 14 press conference, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Araghchi would visit Moscow before the next round of talks with U.S. negotiators, which is scheduled for April 19 at a location that has yet to be decided.
Baqaei said Iran intends to consult with all of the parties remaining in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The Moscow visit could provide the Iranian side with some added insight into the United States’ approach to negotiations. Trump is currently working to mediate a deal to end the ongoing fighting between Russia and Ukraine, with negotiations moving in incremental steps since he took office in January.
Trump has repeatedly raised the threat of ordering new military actions if Tehran doesn’t quickly accept a new deal concerning its nuclear program.
The U.S. military is already moving additional resources into the region. This month, the Department of Defense announced that the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is moving toward the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in the Middle East. The Air Force has also shifted B-2 stealth bombers to a forward base on the small Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” the White House said in a statement following the initial diplomatic exchange in Oman.
