where President Vladimir Putin promised him Moscow's support in ending the war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Saint Petersburg on a whirlwind diplomatic tour, having sandwiched a trip to Oman in between two visits to Pakistan, the main mediator in the Mideast war. Islamabad hosted a first, unsuccessful round of US-Iran talks, and Araghchi's visit raised hopes for more negotiations over the weekend -- until US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. "The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Araghchi said Monday. Trump told Fox News if Iran wanted talks, "they can call us" -- adding the cancellation does not signal a return to hostilities. Iran's envoy to the UN said Tehran would first need guarantees Washington and Israel would not attack again if it was to offer security assurances in the Gulf. "Lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a durable and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran, supplemented by credible guarantees of non-recurrence," Amir Saeid Iravani told a UN Security Council session. Meanwhile in Saint Petersburg, Putin and Araghchi both voiced their commitment to their countries' "strategic relationship" following their meeting. Araghchi said the war with the United States and Israel showed "Iran's true power" and stability. But back home in Tehran, the mood was more sober. "Everything in the country is up in the air right now. I have not worked for a long time," small business owner Farshad told Paris-based AFP journalists. "The country is in complete economic collapse." (Bssnews)