Lavrov meets Araghchi in Tehran over Iran war, bilateral ties

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who has arrived in Iran on his first visit to the country since February 2025, is due to engage in talks aimed at averting the return of a large-scale war in Middle East. This as Premier Li Qiang urges all parties concerned to opt for peace and resume dialogue at an early date.

Officials say Lavrov will be discussing the current situation in the region and other international issues with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and is scheduled to meet President Masoud Pezeshkian.

With talks between Tehran and Washington stalled, Moscow is actively looking to play a potential mediation role.

At a news conference, Araghchi says Iran welcomes any idea that guarantees regional security without presence of foreign factors and that regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy.

State media Xinhua reports Premier Li Qiang stating on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting that China is ready to advance exchanges and cooperation across multiple fields with Iran.

Li also reaffirms Beijing's stance that national sovereignty and security of all nations remain inviolable.

On Sunday, the Gulf Cooperation Council called on Russia to leverage its relations with Iran to urge it to comply with a UN resolution and to cease attacks on the GCC and Jordan.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani demands the inclusion of GCC states in any future negotiations or arrangements concerning Iran's nuclear programme and missile capabilities.