Lavrov's trip to Tehran; Moscow's new mission to mediate between Iran and America?

The visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Tehran takes place in a situation where diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US war are facing serious obstacles.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan's international reporter, according to the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov will travel to Tehran on Monday, October 27, and will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, has announced that in these negotiations, international and regional developments will be discussed with a focus on the situation around Iran and Moscow's measures to reduce tensions.

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The implementation of the agreements obtained from the recent contacts of the senior officials of the two countries and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation have also been announced as one of the axes of this trip.

The timing of this trip is particularly important because Putin and doctors met on October 8 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States Summit in Turkmenistan; A meeting in which the Iran-US war and the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution were discussed.

In that meeting, Putin announced that Russia is ready to do whatever it can to resolve the crisis. The doctors also said that Iran and America have exchanged new proposals to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran is reviewing and modifying the received proposals in order to reach an agreement on them through mediators.

This meeting was not just a bilateral meeting focused on economic cooperation; Rather, it was held in a situation where the two countries were also discussing how to end the war and the future of security arrangements in the region.

Therefore, Lavrov's visit to Tehran can be seen as a stage for pursuing high-level dialogues and examining ways to transform political positions into diplomatic initiatives.

Transferring Iran's message to Trump through Moscow

One of the most important diplomatic developments after the meeting between Putin and the doctors was the transfer of Iran's position on the possible solution to the end of the war to the American president.

According to published reports, the Kremlin announced that Putin, in a phone call with Trump, with the coordination of the Iranian president, conveyed Tehran's point of view on resolving the conflict to the American side.

This development is diplomatically important for Moscow; Because it shows that Russia is not satisfied with verbal support for Iran and has used its direct connection with Washington to convey Tehran's position.

The Putin-Trump contact also allows Russia to expand its communication role if both sides want to, and participate in conveying proposals, clarifying red lines and reducing political misunderstandings.

It should be noted that Russia is currently not the only active player in the communication path between Tehran and Washington.

Ismail Beqaei, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, has announced that Pakistan and Qatar continue to play the role of mediators in the exchange of messages between Iran and the United States, and that Tehran is considering Washington's proposals.

At the same time, he described Russia's role in Iran's nuclear case as constructive, but emphasized that the mediation between Iran and the United States is technically and technically in the hands of countries like Pakistan and Qatar.

Therefore, the most likely framework for examining Russia's role is to distinguish between official mediation and a complementary diplomatic role. Moscow can help the existing process by conveying the message, consulting with Tehran and Washington and supporting a political solution.

Why does Russia want to play a role in ending the war?

Russia's first motivation should be found in the regional and international consequences of the continuation of the war. The expansion of the conflict in the Persian Gulf can affect the security of energy and maritime trade routes, and its economic and political costs will exceed the limits of Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz is also one of the critical points of the world economy due to its role in the transfer of oil and gas. Reaching an agreement that will reduce tension and restore maritime security can be in line with Russia's economic and regional interests.

The second motivation is Moscow's attempt to maintain its position as one of the most effective actors in Middle East security issues.

Transferring Iran's position to Trump and announcing Putin's readiness to help end the war allows the Kremlin to present itself as a party that has ties to both capitals and can keep diplomatic channels active in critical situations.

Lavrov's trip also provides an opportunity to coordinate the positions of the two countries and examine the next steps in this direction.

The third factor is the link between Iran's nuclear case and Russia's long standing position in the negotiations related to this case. Moscow participated in the 2015 nuclear deal and continues to use its diplomatic and communications experience to influence developments related to Iran's nuclear program. Lavrov has also emphasized the necessity of continuing the dialogue between Tehran and Washington and including the interests of Iran and the countries of the region in any agreement.

Can Russian mediation succeed?

The first condition is the existence of a minimum political readiness in Tehran and Washington to reach an agreement. A mediator can facilitate communication and convey proposals to the other side, but cannot decide the main issues for the two governments.

The second obstacle is the disagreement over the order and content of the negotiations. According to a Reuters report, Iran had announced that it was reviewing the US response to Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and would convey its response through mediators.

In this report, the dispute over Iran's conditions and Washington's insistence on early dealing with the nuclear issue were introduced as obstacles to the continuation of negotiations. Tehran preferred opening the strait and maritime security to be prioritized in the first step.

This discrepancy shows that the issue is not just the transmission of the message; Rather, the two sides must also reach an understanding on the order of negotiations, the scope of commitments and the manner of implementing the agreement.

Russia may play a role in clarifying positions and finding common ground, but as long as fundamental disagreements over the terms of the deal persist, no mediator can guarantee success.