live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Development of Azerbaijan–Russia relations was on the agenda during the visit of Khalaf Khalafov, Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Special Assignments, to Moscow on Wednesday.
During the working visit, Khalafov met with a number of Russian high-ranking officials, including Sergey Lavrov, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yuriy Ushakov, Assistant to the Russian President, Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, as well as Mikhail Galuzin and Andrey Rudenko, Russian Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, an exchange of views was held regarding the prospects for "the development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations within the framework of strategic partnership and alliance." A range of current international and regional issues were also addressed during the discussions.
In particular, key issues on the agenda of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) during Azerbaijan's chairmanship in 2025–2026 were discussed. Special attention was given to the integration of CICA into the broader framework of multilateral cooperation within the Eurasian region, the ministry stated.
During separate consultations with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko, detailed discussions were held on ways to enhance activities within the framework of the CICA across various areas of cooperation. Issues concerning interaction in the Caspian region were also thoroughly examined.
Azerbaijan's state news agency reported that the sides emphasized the significance of continuing joint efforts aimed at strengthening lasting stability and security in the South Caucasus and Caspian regions.
"They expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation and emphasized that the Declaration on Allied Interaction between Azerbaijan and Russia, signed on February 22, 2022, serves as the cornerstone of the bilateral agenda, providing a solid foundation for long-term partnership," - said in the statement.
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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