Russian top diplomat in Beijing for talks on Ukraine, Mideast

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday arrived in Beijing on an official visit amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, following failed talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

Lavrov's arrival in the country's capital was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which said in a statement on Monday that he will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

It said Lavrov and Wang Yi will discuss a broad range of issues related to bilateral cooperation, prospects for contacts at various levels, and coordination on the international stage, with a focus on joint work in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS.

"A detailed exchange of views is expected on a number of hot topics and regional issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Middle East," it added.

Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement in Pakistan's capital over the weekend during talks that were part of broader efforts to end the US-Israeli offensive on Iran that has killed more than 3,300 people since Feb. 28, before a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered last week.

Donald Trump later announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 1400 GMT Monday.

Notably, Russia and China voted down a resolution on the Strait of Hormuz at the UN Security Council last week.