Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the United States for the peace talks in Pakistan failing to reach a deal, after arriving in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, AFP reports.

“The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands,” Araghchi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

He also said that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue”, as the US and Iran continue their rival blockades in the waterway.