With Gulf on edge, Naqvi makes whirlwind Iran trip

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday assured Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Pakistan was determined to expand multisector cooperation during his visit to Tehran.

Iranian media outlet Press TV reported that Pezeshkian stated that Pakistan and Iran could meet many of their needs by tapping their "domestic and regional capabilities".

Pezeshkian further noted that continued engagement between the two countries could further strengthen bilateral cooperation across all areas, adding that "US pressure on the region had contributed to greater convergence and interaction among Muslim countries".

"Pakistan is determined to further expand bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, tourism, politics, culture, and science," Naqvi was in turn quoted as saying by Press TV.

Naqvi earlier met Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni and exchanged views on bilateral relations and the latest situation in the region.

In a post on X, the interior ministry noted that progress was reviewed in the meeting on the ongoing cooperation between the interior ministries of both countries in various sectors.

According to the ministry, Momeni stated that Naqvi's recent visit was "very beneficial" and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts towards regional peace and stability.

He further added that Iran was grateful for Pakistan's "continuous efforts" to establish peace in the region.

The statement added that Naqvi said that "in the coming times, bilateral relations would become even stronger".

Pakistani government sources earlier told Anadolu that Naqvi, who has been actively involved in the mediation process alongside CDF Munir, would discuss matters related to attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group on Saudi Arabia's oil and economic infrastructure, and how to revive the stalled peace talks with the US.

Islamabad had already warned that the recent escalation in Yemen would further complicate the already complex regional scenario.

This was Naqvi's sixth visit to Tehran since the US and Israel launched war against Iran in February.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Saturday said Naqvi's visit to Tehran would focus on bilateral relations, and there was no plan to exchange any specific messages regarding mediation.

Pakistan has remained the primary mediator between Iran and the US throughout the war, and has maintained close contact with both sides.

The US and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding in June and launched negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later collapsed over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

The US and Iran then exchanged military strikes in July.

Trump on Sunday said he was contemplating three possible paths for Iran: continue targeting it economically, destroy the regime or make a deal.

After securing a ceasefire in April, Pakistan hosted the first high-level direct talks between the US and Iran since they broke diplomatic ties in 1979.