Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, as Islamabad seeks to breathe new life into its stalled mediation efforts between Iran and the United States. Naqvi, who was received on arrival by his Iranian counterpart, followed up his meetings with Araghchi with a broader set of bilateral discussions during the visit, according to diplomatic sources.
The visit centred on reviving the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a framework brokered by Pakistan that had remained largely dormant in recent months as Oman took the lead in separate negotiations over navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz.
Reported progress in the Oman-Iran talks has created an opening for Islamabad to push for the revival of the wider process that originally emerged from the June agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister separately said in an interview that the United States and Iran appeared close to reaching some form of arrangement, noting that signals in recent days pointed to renewed momentum toward a deal.
Islamabad had earlier invited Araghchi and Iran’s parliament speaker to visit Pakistan at the earliest possible opportunity, though Iranian officials indicated the visit would take place at an appropriate time rather than immediately.
Naqvi’s trip to Tehran is being viewed as an effort to keep Pakistan’s mediation channel active rather than wait on the timing of a reciprocal visit by Iranian leadership, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains in a fragile state of neither open conflict nor resolution following the breakdown of the original agreement.
During his meeting with the Iranian president, Naqvi described the relationship between the two neighbouring countries as strong and long-standing, conveying Pakistan’s determination to pursue deeper cooperation with Tehran. The Iranian president, in turn, said that strong bilateral ties would serve the national interests of both countries as well as contribute to regional stability.
The renewed emphasis on the bilateral relationship comes shortly after Pakistan signed a trilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which Islamabad has described as defensive in nature and not aimed at any particular country. Pakistan’s foreign minister had already briefed his Iranian counterpart on the details of that agreement, stressing its goals of strengthening strategic cooperation and supporting regional peace.
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The future management of the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the central points of disagreement that contributed to the collapse of the original agreement. Iran and Oman have continued separate negotiations on a new arrangement for safe passage through the waterway, focused on a possible new shipping route and its management, though Tehran has maintained that any understanding reached with Oman would represent only a technical first step rather than a full reopening of the strait.
According to diplomatic sources, Iran continues to insist that full reopening depends on the United States addressing what it considers violations of the original memorandum, and that the agreement, having been reached at the presidential level, remains the only legitimate basis for resolving the broader dispute. Tehran is reportedly seeking concrete and verifiable assurances of Washington’s willingness to return to its obligations under the agreement rather than verbal commitments.
The diplomatic push comes as US President Donald Trump continued to criticise Iranian negotiators, describing them as dishonest and accusing them of publicly denying positions they had privately agreed to. He suggested Iran’s economic difficulties left Washington with several options, including maintaining pressure through economic measures already in place, and described Iran’s financial position as severely constrained, saying the country’s access to its own funds remained limited under current arrangements.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
