St. petersburg: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in St. Petersburg, Russia, for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as part of a diplomatic tour that previously took him to Pakistan and Oman. Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran's ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali.According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Iranian foreign minister and President Putin are set to hold talks in St. Petersburg on Monday. Speaking to IRNA, the ambassador said the discussions will focus on developments following the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran. Araghchi's visit is also part of ongoing 'close consultations' between Iran and Russia, as the two countries share similar approaches to regional and international issues, Jalali said. In this context, he added, the Iranian and Russian presidents have held three phone calls since the US-Israeli war began on February 28.Late on Sunday, Jalali also wrote on X that Araghchi's trip to St. Petersburg is being carried out as part of diplomatic efforts to advance Iran's interests amid foreign threats. 'Coordinating interactions and advancing joint programs at the regional and international levels are the main objectives of this trip. Iran and Russia stand on the same front in the face of campaigns by hegemonic forces against independent and justice-seeking nations, as well as countries seeking a world free from unilateralism and Western dominance,' Jalali wrote.Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Araghchi said his visit to Russia aims to continue close consultations with Moscow on regional and international issues, as well as to promote bilateral ties. He described the trip as a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that 'these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.'Araghchi, who arrived in Russia from Pakistan, where he had visited twice since Friday, said 'good consultations' were held with Pakistani officials on negotiations between Iran and the United States to end the war. 'Developments have taken place in the negotiations. Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,' he said.Referring to his visit to Oman, which began on Saturday, the foreign minister described the Persian Gulf Arab country as a close friend of Iran. He noted that Iran and Oman, as coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz, need to maintain close consultations over the strategic waterway, where safe passage has become a global concern. 'It is only natural that, as two coastal countries bordering this strait, we should stay in close contact to safeguard our shared interests and coordinate any actions related to it, especially since the interests of Iran and Oman are direct ly involved in this matter,' Araghchi said. He added that there is significant common ground between Iran and Oman, and that the two sides agreed during the visit to continue consultations at the expert level.