Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is preparing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he expected their conversation to “be in the interests of both countries”. Araghchi said late on Sunday night that he would have “serious and important discussions” with Putin in Moscow.

Iran’s top diplomat said he planned to fly to Moscow and would meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin tomorrow morning. “Russia is a friend of Iran,” Abbas Araghchi said at a press briefing in Istanbul.

President Vladimir Putin says he has secured Israel’s pledge to safeguard Russian personnel at Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant and that he has reached out to both sides to try to end the week-old war.