Lavrov meets Iran foreign minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on May 14 on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. Moscow said the two men discussed negotiations aimed at ending what it called the armed conflict in the Middle East and said Russia reaffirmed its readiness to assist diplomatic efforts. The New Delhi meeting came as China renewed calls for peace talks and said on May 15 it would work with the international community to support negotiations on Iran, according to China’s foreign ministry. It also followed U.S. diplomatic activity tied to President Donald Trump’s May 14 talks in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Iran was part of the agenda, according to Chinese and other media reports. (mid.ru) Bloomberg reported on May 14 that Jared Kushner, serving as Trump’s envoy, had been sending messages to Gulf royals while also managing Affinity Partners, a private investment firm backed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Bloomberg described that overlap as parallel official peacemaking and private fundraising. (mfa.gov.cn) ### What did Lavrov and Araghchi say they discussed? Russia’s foreign ministry said Lavrov and Araghchi held detailed talks on the course of negotiations to settle the Middle East conflict and on issues linked to Iran’s nuclear program. Moscow said the Russian side confirmed its readiness to continue helping efforts to resolve the situation politically. Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi seeking stronger language from BRICS on the war. (bloomberg.com) Indian media, citing remarks in Delhi, reported that he urged the bloc to “explicitly condemn” the United States and Israel and described Iran as a victim of “illegal expansionism and warmongering.” (mid.ru) ### Why was this meeting in New Delhi? India hosted BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi on May 14-15 under its rotating chairmanship, with representatives from the expanded 11-member grouping attending. Indian media reported ahead of the gathering that both Lavrov and Araghchi had confirmed participation. (msn.com) The BRICS meeting has been shaped by divisions over the Middle East war. The Indian Express reported that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — all members of the bloc — had not agreed on common language for a joint position, prompting India earlier to issue a chair’s summary instead of a consensus statement. (indianexpress.com) ### What was China doing at the same time? China’s foreign ministry said on May 15 that Beijing would continue acting in line with President Xi Jinping’s proposals and work with other countries to provide stronger support for peace talks in the Middle East. A week earlier, Wang Yi told Araghchi in Beijing that China supported an immediate and full ceasefire and said talks should have priority. (indianexpress.com) President Xi met Trump in Beijing on May 14, China’s foreign ministry said. Reuters and other outlets reported that the Iran war hung over that meeting, adding another diplomatic track running alongside the BRICS discussions in India. ### Where does Kushner fit into the wider diplomacy? Bloomberg reported on May 14 that Kushner had been contacting Gulf royals several times a week as Trump’s envoy while also seeking investor business for Affinity Partners. (mfa.gov.cn) Bloomberg said Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had backed the firm in hopes of gaining influence and returns. (mfa.gov.cn) Those reports did not place Kushner in the Lavrov-Araghchi meeting, and neither Russia’s nor Iran’s official readouts linked him directly to the New Delhi talks. The overlap is timing: his reported outreach surfaced the same day Lavrov and Araghchi met and as China and the United States were also active diplomatically. ### What comes next in this story? May 15 was the second day of the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, where India was hosting Lavrov, Araghchi and other delegates from the 11-member bloc. (bloomberg.com) Any joint language, chair’s statement or separate national readouts from India, Russia or Iran would provide the next formal account of where those talks landed. (indianexpress.com) (mid.ru)