ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday arrived in Iran to meet senior Iranian officials as part of efforts to “follow up” on US–Iran peace process, an official and Iranian state media said, following the signing of a peace deal by both sides.
Naqvi’s visit follows a report by Axios claiming that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon late Friday.
US-Iran talks in Switzerland were called off after Israel mounted its attacks on southern Lebanon, casting doubt over the next phase of the critical US–Iran negotiations after the signing of an initial deal by both countries on June 18.
Naqvi has visited Iran multiple times to mediate between the warring sides since the US–Iran conflict broke out in late February. He held talks with FM Araghchi, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and other leaders during his last visit to Tehran on June 7.
“Naqvi will follow up on the progress of the negotiations between Iran and the United States in Tehran,” Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
A Pakistani official, who requested anonymity, confirmed to Arab News Naqvi’s departure to Iran, declining to share further details of the visit.
Earlier, Pakistani FM Ishaq Dar wished his Iranian counterpart Araghchi success in the next phase of US–Iran peace talks, expressing hope for positive outcomes.
The US-Iran peace deal, signed by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as a mediator, calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and launching a 60-day process to negotiate a broader settlement of disputes over Iran’s nuclear program.
Pakistan continues to play a mediating role, hosting rare US–Iran talks in April and facilitating backchannel communications while coordinating diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and China.
