ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran for meetings with senior officials, Iranian state media reported on Saturday, as Islamabad continues diplomatic efforts to help ease tensions surrounding the ongoing Iran-US conflict and disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator since the war erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on Feb. 28, which triggered Iranian retaliation and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.
While a fragile ceasefire announced on Apr. 8 remains in place, negotiations between Washington and Tehran have largely stalled following a first round of direct talks in Islamabad, with disputes over Iran’s uranium enrichment program and regional security continuing to hamper progress.
“He has reached Iran,” an interior ministry source confirmed to Arab News on condition of anonymity after reports of Naqvi’s visit emerged in Iranian media, without offering further details.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported earlier that Naqvi had arrived in Tehran “a few hours ago” as part of an unannounced visit and was expected to meet senior officials of the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s Mehr news agency also reported Naqvi’s arrival, saying the Pakistani minister was in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said last month the country remained engaged in diplomatic efforts aimed at lowering regional tensions, though it declined to disclose details of ongoing discussions.
“The clock on diplomacy has not stopped. The peace process is working,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad.
Naqvi had previously accompanied Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a three-day visit to Tehran in April, when Islamabad intensified contacts with regional capitals amid efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States.
The latest visit comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in New Delhi that distrust of Washington remained the biggest obstacle in negotiations with the United States, while signaling openness to diplomatic support from countries in the region.
Tensions in the Gulf remain elevated despite the ceasefire, with Iran maintaining restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz and the United States continuing its blockade of Iranian ports, contributing to volatility in global energy markets.
