Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced at his weekly briefing on April 14 that the country's foreign minister is set to travel to Russia later this week as part of a planned diplomatic agenda, IntelliNews has learned.

Among the topics to be discussed during the visit are the latest developments surrounding talks held in Muscat between Iran and the United States over Iran's nuclear programme, which Russia is heavily invested in, including removing spent fuel as part of the original 2015 nuclear agreement. Aragchi's trip precedes the scheduled second round of discussions between Iran and the US, slated for April 19 in a European country. 

Baghaei stressed that the Moscow visit had been arranged well in advance and dismissed any correlation with these negotiations and that this visit will include other issues; this was later confirmed by the Russian Embassy in Tehran on April 14. 

US negotiator Steve Witkoff also visited Russia before the first round of talks in Muscat, potentially signalling Moscow’s influence in shaping any engagement between Tehran and Washington.

Baghaei further confirmed that Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), would also visit Iran this week. He reiterated that Grossi's visit aligns with Iran's standard interactions with the IAEA and is unrelated to the US-Iran talks.

Representatives from Tehran and Washington recently convened in Oman on April 12 and decided to continue their discussions. Baghaei suggested that the location for the upcoming round of talks might shift away from Oman while remaining under the same framework, i.e. indirectly and mediated by Oman.

Axios reported via sources that Rome could be a potential venue for the next round. Such a choice has been attributed to American officials' concerns about the extended travel distance to Muscat. Previously, talks between Iran and the US were held in Switzerland. 

While Iran insists on preserving the indirect nature of talks, US claims have hinted at the contrary. Axios reported that Wiktoff and Araghchi spent at least 45 minutes post-negotiations informally discussing matters.

Observers interpret this diplomatic stance as an effort by Iran to demonstrate adherence to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's warning against negotiating with the United States, deeming such actions dishonourable and unwise.

Baghaei reiterated that previous experiences shaped this method of diplomacy and that direct talks remain unproductive as long as coercive measures and threats persist.

He also clarified that Iran’s primary objective in the discussions is securing the removal of “cruel and illegal sanctions” imposed on the nation. According to Baghaei, the negotiations are limited to nuclear-related issues and sanctions relief, excluding other matters from the agenda.

Baghaei also remarked on US-Iran economic relations, stating that Iran has posed no barriers to American trade or investment opportunities within the country. He attributed the lack of US economic engagement to Americans’ "complex and dense multi-layered laws.”

Iran's rial has recently rebounded following talks between the two sides, with the currency gaining as much as 13% against the US dollar and other currencies due to the positive sentiment of negotiations. 

Later, on April 14, Russian envoy to the IAEA Mikhail Ulyanov said: "As a result of the meeting in Oman, both the Iranian and American sides assessed the talks as positive and constructive." He added, "This is promising...The parties agreed to hold a new meeting next Saturday at the same location."