Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will reach Pakistan today (Saturday) to commence a two-day official visit during which he is set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, as well as other senior officials.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said the Iranian president is visiting the country at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This marks his first visit to Pakistan since assuming the presidency.
“Pezeshkian will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister of Iran Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, senior ministers, and other high-ranking officials,” read the statement, adding he would meet the president and hold delegation-level talks with the prime minister.
Pezeshkian is set to land in Lahore before proceeding to Islamabad. According to his political adviser Mehdi Sanai, the visit would include official meetings and discussions with “cultural and business elites.” He said the ties between the neighboring states “encompass political, economic, religious, and cultural dimensions,” adding the visit aimed to discuss the development of provincial and border cooperation, as well as increasing bilateral trade from its current $3 billion level.
In a weekly press briefing on Friday, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Islamabad had offered to help defuse tensions between Iran and the United States. “Iran is our close friend and a brotherly neighboring country. We remain committed to making positive contribution to bring the tensions down and promote diplomatic solutions to problem. We are open to play that role, and we will continue to play that role,” said spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan.
The U.S. has recently acknowledged Pakistan’s role as mediator, with U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s “continued willingness to play a constructive role in mediating conversations with Iran” during a meeting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Iranian leader’s visit follows P.M. Sharif’s visit to Iran on May 26, 2025 during which he met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the Iranian president.