TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Moscow on Thursday to deliver a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Araghchi will briefly meet with his counterpart before being received by the president, reports say. 

The top diplomat will then travel to Italy’s capital, where he will engage in indirect talks with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff. The two countries held the first round of their indirect negotiations in Muscat last week, with Oman’s foreign minister acting as go-between. They discussed Tehran’s nuclear program as well as anti-Iran U.S. sanctions. 

The first Iran-US encounter ended on a positive note, with both sides describing the talks as “positive” and “constructive”. However, subsequent remarks by Witkoff, stating that Iran "must stop and eliminate" its nuclear enrichment program to reach a deal with Washington, may have dampened prospects for similar results in the upcoming round.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Araghchi said enrichment of uranium as part of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is "non-negotiable”. 

"Iran's enrichment [program] is a real and genuine matter, and we are ready to build trust regarding potential concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Araghchi told reporters.

Pointing to the continuation of the so-called U.S. pressure campaign on Iran during the negotiations, the Iranian foreign minister said, “Both our position and our actions are clear. They will not achieve anything through pressure. If the negotiation is based on an equal footing and is carried out in a respectful environment, it can progress, but nothing will be achieved through pressure and imposition of their positions, and we have proven this both in our actions and in our positions. We will participate in the talks with complete calmness and tranquility, without being influenced by any pressure or current.”

Araghchi also censured the "contradictory and conflicting positions" coming out of the Trump administration ahead of Saturday's talks.

“As I mentioned, during this time we have heard contradictory and conflicting positions, and Mr. Witkoff has spoken in several ways so far; the real positions will be clarified at the negotiation table,” said the top Iranian diplomat.

“However, we need to be cognizant of the genuine opinions of the American side during the negotiation session. If they come with constructive positions, I am hopeful that we can begin negotiations on the framework of a potential agreement. If not, if the positions remain contradictory and conflicting, it will be difficult.”