Interior minister received by Iranian counterpart Momeni discusses regional stability, bilateral cooperation
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni in Tehran as he arrives on a two-day visit to Iran. SCREENGRAB
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni reaffirmed their commitment to deepening interactions to address shared regional challenges as Naqvi began a two-day visit to Tehran on Saturday.
Naqvi was received by Momeni upon his arrival in Iran, marking the start of the visit aimed at facilitating dialogue and discussing regional developments.
Iran’s WANA news agency reported that the two ministers held a meeting to discuss regional stability and bilateral cooperation.
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“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening interactions to address shared regional challenges,” the report said.
During the meeting, Momeni reportedly praised the efforts of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and the Chief of the Army Staff, Asim Munir, describing his role in pursuing a resolution to ongoing regional tensions as “sincere and committed”. He also expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding and brotherly ties between Iran and Pakistan, and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation to advance peace, security and prosperity across the region.
Several senior Iranian officials and representatives of the Pakistani Embassy in Tehran were also present during the talks.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the interior ministry told Anadolu that the visit was already scheduled.
The visit marks Naqvi’s second successive trip in as many months. Last month, he had also visited Iran alongside Field Marshal Munir.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who received the delegation, expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s hosting of dialogue efforts with the United States, saying it reflected the “deep and great bilateral relationship” between the two countries.
“Our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region remains strong — and shared,” he said.
The development came as Pakistan has been mediating between Washington and Tehran to bring a lasting end to the conflict that started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and was followed by Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
Pakistan had brokered a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, followed by critical talks in Islamabad attended by senior delegations from both countries on April 11 and 12.
However, neither side was able to reach an agreement to bring the conflict to an end.
Since then, the two sides have been exchanging proposals and counter-proposals in an effort to reach a middle ground and resume a second round of direct talks aimed at ending the conflict, which has already disrupted global energy supplies and daily life across the region.
While Pakistan remains hopeful for the resumption of direct talks, sources said there was no “significant” change in Iran’s earlier stance on the nuclear issue in its response to US proposals.
According to sources, Tehran’s response — delivered to the United States via Islamabad last week — primarily focused on an “immediate” end to hostilities, with “little [in it] in terms of Washington’s core demand about Iran’s nuclear programme”.
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Iran, the sources added, has proposed “broader and separate” talks on the nuclear issue, citing its “complexity”.
However, Tehran has “reiterated” its willingness to halt uranium enrichment for a period of five years, while rejecting Washington’s demand for a 20-year moratorium, according to the sources.
