Key Points
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi delivers message from Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir
- Pakistan briefs Tehran on Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye defence pact
- Naqvi meets Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has delivered a fresh message to Iran from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Islamabad intensifies diplomatic efforts to support peace and revive engagement between Tehran and Washington.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi conveyed the “special and important” message during his visit to Tehran, according to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry. The ministry did not disclose the contents of the message.
Naqvi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with discussions focusing on regional security, stability and bilateral relations.
Foreign Office said the visit was aimed at promoting “peace, stability and constructive engagement”.
The interior minister also briefed Iranian officials on the recently concluded defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and took Tehran into confidence over the agreement, the Interior Ministry said.
Naqvi further told his Iranian counterpart that Field Marshal Munir remained in contact with Gulf countries and all other stakeholders on the crisis in the Middle East, indicating that Islamabad is maintaining channels with the principal parties involved in the regional crisis.
The Tehran visit comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to revive a Washington-Tehran dialogue.
Islamabad has sought to facilitate engagement between Washington and Tehran and has previously hosted negotiations aimed at reducing tensions and finding a political settlement.
Pakistan Defence Minister sees Iran-US deal closer
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in an interview with Bloomberg News that developments in recent days suggested the United States and Iran were moving closer to an agreement.
“Things are shaping up again in favour of a peace arrangement or a deal,” Asif said, adding that signals over the previous two or three days indicated the sides were close to “some sort of an arrangement”.
The comments came as Islamabad stepped up its mediation efforts, with Naqvi’s Tehran visit described by Pakistani officials as part of Islamabad’s push for peace and constructive engagement.
Islamabad has particular stakes in the outcome of the crisis because it shares a border with Iran and maintains close relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Islamabad has sought to balance those relationships, opposing escalation and advocating dialogue.
The country has also been concerned about the wider economic consequences of regional instability, particularly disruptions to energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas trade.
Naqvi’s meeting with Pezeshkian therefore carries significance beyond bilateral Pakistan-Iran relations. By keeping direct communication open with Tehran and maintaining contacts with Washington and Gulf capitals, Islamabad is seeking to preserve its role as a diplomatic intermediary as efforts for a broader peace arrangement continue.
