ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday evening, Iranian media reported, as Islamabad continues diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions between Washington and Tehran amid renewed military exchanges in the Gulf.
The visit comes amid months of Pakistani mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, with Islamabad maintaining contacts with both sides in an attempt to prevent a wider regional conflict.
“Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Tehran on the evening of Saturday, June 6, where he was welcomed by Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni,” Iran’s West Asia News Agency (WANA) reported.
Three Pakistani official sources had earlier confirmed to Arab News that Naqvi was traveling to Tehran as part of ongoing diplomatic and negotiation efforts.
A government source described the trip as part of Pakistan’s continuing engagement with Iranian authorities, while another source within the interior ministry confirmed that the minister would travel to Tehran on Saturday.
A third source familiar with the development told Arab News: “Naqvi is set to travel to Iran as part of ongoing diplomatic and negotiation efforts.”
Prior to his arrival, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) had reported that Naqvi was carrying an important message from Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.
According to WANA, Naqvi and Momeni held talks shortly after the Pakistani minister’s arrival, marking their third meeting in three days, with the previous two taking place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) interior ministers’ gathering in Bishkek earlier this week.
The Pakistani interior minister’s visit comes as regional tensions remain elevated after fresh military exchanges between the United States and Iran.
The US military said on Saturday it had shot down Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and its allies a day earlier, while striking some Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites. Iran’s navy said it had fired warning missiles and drones at US warships in the Gulf of Oman.
Bahrain also said during the day that it, together with Kuwait, intercepted seven missiles fired by Iran.
Pakistan has played an increasingly visible role in efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad hosted the first round of talks between the two sides in April, though the negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough.
Since then, Pakistani officials have remained engaged with both governments, relaying messages and exchanging proposals aimed at reducing tensions and reviving diplomatic negotiations.
