Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi arrived in Saint Petersburg for a meeting with President Putin. The visit follows a diplomatic standstill: talks with the US through Pakistan have stalled, American envoys cancelled their travel, and Trump declared that Iran "just needs to call if it wants to talk." Moscow, meanwhile, is positioning itself as Tehran's primary diplomatic ally.

Iranian media report that Aragchi and Putin will discuss "further coordination between the two countries" - both regional issues and "advancing joint programmes." The language is soft. But Russia is currently one of the few places where Iran can obtain political support on the international stage.

The background is complex: Iran submitted a proposal to the US for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire, deferring nuclear talks. The White House declined to engage. Trump said Iran has "three days." Aragchi's Moscow visit is the answer to that ultimatum - not directly, but strategically. A demonstration that Iran is not alone.

For the Balkans, the Middle East and the Mediterranean - the two poles of this crisis are Washington and Moscow, with Hormuz and oil between them. Fuel prices do not wait for diplomatic agreements.