Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Speaking at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed he would travel to Moscow on June 22 for talks with President Vladimir Putin on June 23, per Reuter.
The announcement comes after U.S. airstrikes on June 21 targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. President Donald Trump described these strikes as a “necessary step” to stop Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. In response, Araghchi condemned the strikes as a “gross violation” of international law and affirmed Iran’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations.
The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 22, 2025Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in a message on Telegram, accused Trump of initiating a new war in the Middle East. He stated that the U.S. strikes caused minimal damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and suggested that Iran’s enrichment program would persist. Medvedev hinted that there are unnamed countries potentially supplying nuclear warheads to Tehran, although this claim remains unverified. He also noted that the strikes have strengthened the Iranian regime, with citizens rallying around their leadership.
The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations.
The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 22, 2025Iran Rejects Diplomacy with U.S.
Araghchi dismissed the possibility of resuming talks with the U.S., citing disrupted negotiations in Geneva on June 19. He stated, “The U.S. betrayed diplomacy,” and accused Trump of preferring “threat and force.” The strikes, which are part of an Israeli-led campaign that began on June 13 and has resulted in the deaths of over 430 people in Iran, have escalated tensions in the region.
WATCH: "The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the United States' brutal military aggression against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
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— Bloomberg (@business) June 22, 2025The U.S. military action, involving B-2 bombers and bunker-buster bombs, risks escalating the conflict. Iran’s planned talks in Moscow signal strengthened ties with Russia, complicating diplomatic efforts.
Read: U.S. Dropped 5-6 Bunker-Buster Bombs on Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Plant, Trump Says
