Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran as developments in Yemen and efforts to resume US-Iran negotiations increased regional pressure.
Pakistan government sources said Naqvi’s visit would address Pakistan-Iran relations as well as attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia’s oil and economic infrastructure. Steps that could be taken to restart stalled talks between the United States and Iran are also expected to be discussed.
Islamabad warned that the latest escalation in Yemen would further complicate an already complex regional picture.
Naqvi makes his sixth visit to Tehran
Naqvi is making his sixth visit to Tehran since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran. Pakistan’s interior minister played an active role in the mediation process alongside Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday that the visit would focus on bilateral relations. Baghaei said no specific message exchange related to mediation was planned during the talks.
Efforts under way to resume US-Iran negotiations
Pakistan acted as the main mediator between the United States and Iran throughout the war and maintained close contact with both sides. In June, the United States and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and began negotiations toward a final agreement.
However, the talks collapsed over disagreements concerning security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is strategically important for global energy supplies and trade. The United States and Iran carried out reciprocal military attacks in July.
Trump said on Sunday that he was considering three possible courses of action regarding Iran: continuing to target the economy, overthrowing the regime or reaching an agreement.
In April, after a ceasefire was reached, Pakistan hosted the first high-level direct talks between the United States and Iran since the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 1979.
