Lavrov travels to Tehran for talks as Moscow pursues mediation after Trump says Russia is doing little to help Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Tehran on Monday for meetings with top Iranian officials as Moscow seeks to position itself as a mediator in the conflict between Iran and the United States. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Lavrov is scheduled to meet President Masoud Pezeshkian before holding confidential and thorough talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The ministry said discussions will cover the situation in the Persian Gulf and ways to resolve what it described as an acute international crisis triggered by unlawful U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran. The bilateral agenda also includes energy, transport and economic projects. Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2025 that includes provisions to counter shared threats but does not establish mutual-defense obligations.

The visit follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements that Russia is doing very little to help Iran in the war with the United States and Israel. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Pezeshkian that Moscow was ready to play a mediating role in ending the Middle East war. U.S. officials, meanwhile, have played down concerns about Russian-Iranian military ties.