Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday amid expectations of renewed engagement between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East conflict.
Diplomatic sources told Geo News that Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Asim Malik and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attended the meeting.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also participated in the meeting, along with Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri-Moghaddam. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was also present during the huddle.
FM Araghchi will also hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar during the visit.
The Iranian delegation touched down in Islamabad Friday night and was received by DPM Dar, Field Marshal Munir, along with other senior officials upon arrival in Islamabad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
During the visit, the Iranian FM will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability, it added.
According to Iranian state media, Araghchi is on a tri-nation tour that includes visits to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow.
“The purpose of this visit is to hold bilateral consultations and discuss current developments in the region, as well as the latest situation in the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran,” the state news agency IRNA said.
US envoys head to Pakistan
Meanwhile, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will head to Pakistan on Saturday for a new round of talks with Iran on ending the war, the White House said.
“I can confirm Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday.
Leavitt said that Vance remained ready to fly to Pakistan but will not for now. “Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary,” she said.
A US logistics and security team is already present in the federal capital ahead of the potential second round of peace talks, sources said. They said that the development was the result of pivotal conversations conducted by Pakistan’s mediation team.
The Middle East conflict began on February 28, following a large-scale surprise attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, despite the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran at the time.
Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, followed by the first round of talks that lasted for 21 hours in Islamabad earlier this month.
The meeting marked the first direct encounter between American and Iranian officials in more than a decade and the most senior engagement since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
US Vice President JD Vance and Ghalibaf led their respective delegations in the last round of talks to work out a slew of issues, including the Strait of Hormuz as well as Iran’s nuclear programme and international sanctions on Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz
The second round of talks faces ambiguity after both sides failed to agree on their respective measures in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran blocked the waterway after the US and Israel launched attacks across Iran on February 28. Apart from closing Hormuz, Tehran also launched strikes against Israel and US bases across the Middle East.
Following an inconclusive first round of talks, US President Donald Trump announced a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran declared Hormuz open on April 17, citing a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, it closed the strait the following day due to the US blockade of Iranian maritime trade, a measure Tehran considers an act of war.
Despite the hostilities on both sides, Islamabad continued its diplomatic outreach to bring Tehran and Washington back to the table and extend the two-week ceasefire.
Hours before the expiry of the ceasefire on April 22, US President Donald Trump announced extending the truce until an Iranian proposal was submitted and discussions were concluded.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he was acting at the request of Pakistan to hold off attacks until Iranian leaders and representatives could come up with what he called a unified proposal.
