ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and handed him a “written message” from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, amid Islamabad’s efforts to deescalate tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East.
The development came as the US military said it shot down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz as Washington presses Iran to make a deal to end the war in the Middle East, which has strained the global economy. The heaviest fighting ended with a preliminary ceasefire on April 8, but the sides have not been able to agree on a long-term end to the war.
Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday evening, where he met his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni to discuss regional developments. Islamabad has led a diplomatic push to end the conflict between the US and Iran ever since their military confrontation began in February, relaying messages between both sides and exchanging peace proposals.
“Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, handed over a written message from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, intended for the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,” the state-run IRNA news agency said on X, following his meeting with Araghchi.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was named the Islamic Republic’s ruler after his father was killed on the first day of the war on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched a bombardment campaign against Iran.
Speaking to the media alongside Momeni on Saturday night after his arrival in Tehran, Naqvi said he had traveled to deliver a “special letter” from Pakistan’s military chief and a message from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Iran’s supreme leader.
There were no details on the contents of the message. Pakistani authorities have said Islamabad, with support from regional countries including Qatar, Turkiye and Egypt, has been working to help bridge differences between the United States and Iran and encourage efforts aimed at reducing tensions and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, wants to press ahead with Israel’s offensive until he considers Hezbollah no longer poses a threat.
Lebanon’s army commander, Gen. Rodolphe Haikal, headed to Pakistan Saturday at the invitation of Pakistan’s army chief. The Lebanese army gave no further details and did not say whether it is related to Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the US.
The US military has kept up its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s grip on the strait, a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments. Energy prices have spiked, posing political problems for US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of midterm congressional elections in November.
