Lavrov to visit Iran as Russia looks to mediate in Middle East war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was due to arrive in Iran on Monday, his first visit since the Middle East war began, as Moscow seeks a mediating role while US-Iran talks stall.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed the trip on Sunday.

Why is Lavrov visiting Iran?

Lavrov is meeting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss “regional and international developments”. He said Moscow’s efforts are “aimed at preventing the return of a large-scale war”, with talks between Tehran and Washington stalled. Russia’s foreign ministry expects the talks to focus on resolving the crisis.

What is the background to Lavrov’s Iran visit?

The visit comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in early October that Moscow was prepared to contribute to mediation efforts. Russia and Iran, two of the most heavily sanctioned nations in the world, maintain close ties. Their military and economic cooperation has only increased since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Middle East war began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Despite a ceasefire in April, followed by a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June, hostilities in and around the Strait of Hormuz have not stopped.

Iran claims control over the strategic waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons pass in normal times, and regularly targets vessels that cross without its authorization. In response, Washington has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

What has Russia said about the war with Iran?

Russia’s foreign ministry said discussions during Lavrov’s visit were expected to focus on “ways to resolve the acute international crisis triggered by the unlawful aggression of the US and Israel against Iran”.

The ministry said the war had been a blow to stability and security “not only in the near and Middle East, but also on a global scale”.