ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit to hold consultations with the Pakistani leadership on the evolving Middle East situation and discuss bilateral ties with Pakistan, state-run media reported on Tuesday. 

Araghchi was welcomed by Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) Ambassador Ahmed Naseem Warraich upon his arrival in Islamabad, a foreign office press release said. 

Araghchi’s Islamabad visit takes place after last month’s escalation in hostilities between Iran and Israel, with both countries firing missiles at each other. Israel carried out strikes against Iran on Oct. 26, saying it was responding to missile attacks conducted by Tehran earlier in the month.

Since the deadliest attack in its history on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza and since late September, it has been at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies of Iran. Pakistan, a major ally of Saudi Arabia, shares a long border with Iran.

“Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived here late Monday night on a two-day official visit to hold consultations with Pakistan’s leadership on the situation in the Middle East and bilateral relations,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. 

The APP said Araghchi will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his two-day visit. 

“This visit provides an important opportunity to advance cooperation and dialogue between Pakistan and Iran on a wide range of areas including trade, energy and security,” APP said. 
Pakistan and Iran have had a rocky relationship despite several commercial pacts between the two countries on trade, energy and security. Both countries signed the $7 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project agreement in 2004 but 20 years on, the project remains incomplete. Tehran has completed the pipeline’s construction on its side of the border while Pakistan is seeking a US waiver to go ahead with it due to international sanctions targeting Tehran. 
Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared porous border, with both countries routinely trading blame for not rooting out militancy.
Tensions surged in January when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s countries. Late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi visited Pakistan in April on a three-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and easing tensions. The two sides also signed memorandums of understanding in the fields of trade, science technology, agriculture, health, culture, and judicial matters.