Abbas Araghchi Says Iran Engages Russia At Highest Level After Meetings With Vladimir Putin

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said his country was engaging with Russia “at the highest level,” framing the week’s diplomacy as proof that “the depth and strength of our strategic partnership” is growing.

“Russian superyacht sails through Strait of Hormuz despite blockade A superyacht linked to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key allies has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing blockade of the critical shipping channel”

BBC

In a post on his X account on Tuesday, Araghchi wrote, “Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux.”

BBC

He added, “Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership,” and said, “As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy.”

Mehr News Agency reported that Araghchi, “at the head of a delegation,” landed in Russia on Monday after trips to Pakistan and Oman to discuss regional issues, including peace efforts in the US-Israeli-imposed war.

The same report said Araghchi met top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, in Saint Petersburg, with bilateral relations and “the current regional developments” as the focus.

BBC also tied the high-level engagement to Iran’s standoff with the US over the Strait of Hormuz’s re-opening, noting that Iran has engaged with Russia in high-level talks this week as the dispute continues.

In the BBC account, Putin told Araghchi that the Iranian people were “courageously fighting” for their sovereignty in the face of American and Israeli pressure, as reported by Tass.

While Araghchi’s diplomacy unfolded in Russia, a Russian-linked superyacht cleared the Strait of Hormuz despite a blockade affecting the shipping lane tied to the US-Iran standoff.

BBC reported that the 142m-long (465 feet) Nord luxury boat, linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov, sailed through the strait despite the ongoing blockade of the critical shipping channel.

Mehr News Agency

The BBC account said Nord travelled from Dubai to Muscat, Oman over the weekend, and that it was one of a few private vessels to transit in recent months.

It also stated that Nord left Dubai on Friday night and arrived at Al Mouj, a marina in Oman's capital, on Sunday morning, citing Marine Traffic platform data.

Open Magazine similarly described Nord as a 142-metre-long (465 feet) vessel that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, and said it travelled from Dubai to Muscat, Oman over the weekend, with shipping data showing it became “one of very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane.”

Both outlets said it was not clear how the vessel gained permission to use the route, and BBC added that it is not clear if Mordashov was on board Nord while it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

BBC also emphasized that Iran has continued restricting shipping through the vital waterway after President Donald Trump announced US forces would impose a blockade on Iranian ports.

The reporting tied Nord’s voyage to the sanctions profile of Alexey Mordashov and to how the yacht is recorded in ownership and registration records.

“A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, becoming one of very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane at the heart of the US-Iran conflict, shipping data showed”

Open Magazine

BBC said Mordashov, who has close ties to Putin, is not listed as the formal owner of the luxury boat, but that “Nord's records indicate it was registered to a firm owned by his wife in 2022.”

It added that Nord is estimated to be worth over $500m (£370m), and that the yacht’s profile in the magazine Superyacht Times says it has “a swimming pool, submarine and helipad.”

Open Magazine reported a similar ownership structure, stating that Mordashov is not listed as the formal owner and that Nord’s records indicate it was registered to a firm owned by his wife in 2022.

Open Magazine further said that, “Per a Reuters report,” this firm is registered in the Russian town of Cherepovets, where Mordashov’s steelmaker Severstal is also registered.

BBC described Mordashov as chairman of Russia's largest steel and mining company Severstal, and it gave an estimated net worth of about $37bn (£27bn), saying he is the richest Russian national listed by Forbes.

On the maritime side, Open Magazine said the Russian-flagged Nord managed to clear the strait despite private vessels largely avoiding the waterway since the outbreak of hostilities, and it described the broader pattern as Washington and Tehran maintaining an uneasy ceasefire.

The superyacht’s passage was placed within a wider picture of reduced traffic through a corridor that carries a large share of global energy supplies.

BBC said approximately one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies normally pass through the waterway, and it described maritime traffic through the Gulf channel as being “at a fraction of pre-war levels.”

BBC

It also said the Russian-flagged Nord cleared the strait despite private vessels largely avoiding the waterway since the outbreak of hostilities.

Open Magazine provided more granular figures, stating that this represented “a fraction of the average 125 to 140 daily passages before the Iran war began on February 28.”

Open Magazine also said “Since February, Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strait,” and reiterated that the strait “typically handles around one-fifth of the world's oil supply.”

The same Open Magazine report connected the restrictions to US policy, saying “The restrictions came after President Donald Trump announced US forces would impose a blockade on Iranian ports.”

It further described the conflict’s market impact, stating that “The conflict has contributed to a sharp rise in global oil prices, with the global benchmark Brent crude rising to $109 a barrel on Monday.”

The week’s Iran-Russia engagement was presented as both diplomatic outreach and messaging about sovereignty under pressure.

“In a post on his X account on Tuesday, Iran’s top diplomat wrote, “Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux”

Mehr News Agency

Mehr News Agency described Araghchi’s trip as part of a broader effort, saying he landed in Russia on Monday after trips to Pakistan and Oman to discuss regional issues, including peace efforts in the US-Israeli-imposed war.

Mehr News Agency

It said Araghchi met with top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, in Saint Petersburg, and that bilateral relations and “the current regional developments” were discussed.

BBC reported that Putin hosted an Iranian delegation in St Petersburg on Monday, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed their “strategic relationship.”

BBC also quoted Araghchi’s X post, including the line, “Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership,” and the follow-up, “As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia's support for diplomacy.”

BBC added that Araghchi shared photos on X showing him smiling and shaking hands with Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Open Magazine, meanwhile, described the diplomatic backdrop as Iran engaging with Russia in high-level talks this week as its standoff continues, and it said Russia and Iran are longstanding allies that have become closer in recent years, including via a 2025 treaty that strengthened intelligence and security cooperation.