Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday reached Iran for his second visit in less than a week, meeting with Iran’s top civil and military leaders in Tehran in a bid to resolve deadlock between the Islamic republic and Washington over a proposal to end the war.
According to Iranian state media, Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. The meetings are being seen as part of ongoing efforts to finalize the draft of a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran.
His latest visit follows a previous two-day trip to Tehran, during which he had also met the Iranian president. An official statement said the two had discussed bilateral ties and Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
Middle Eastern news outlets, citing sources, have claimed a new round of negotiations could take place in Islamabad after Haj if Naqvi’s efforts prove fruitful. Ahead of the talks, they said, a final version of the agreement between the U.S. and Iran could soon be announced. If the agreement is finalized, they claimed, a key Pakistani figure could visit Tehran today (Thursday).
Meanwhile, Iranian state media said Pezeshkian had discussed Iran-U.S. negotiations and regional stability with Naqvi, exchanging views on the indirect talks and ongoing diplomatic efforts to follow up on previous understandings. It said the Iranian president had stressed the need for continued dialogue, stronger regional cooperation and closer coordination among Islamic countries.
The media reports also quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying talks between Tehran and Washington were ongoing through Pakistani mediators.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest remarks appear to support reports indicating progress in the talks. “We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens. Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won’t happen,” he said.
Trump further said he had “come close” to ordering additional strikes against Iran but had opted to delay the action to provide more time for negotiations. The U.S. president’s move suggests attempts are underway globally to secure peace, as Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan welcomed the decision to “give diplomacy a chance.”
In a statement, the Saudi minister said Riyadh “highly appreciated” efforts to end the war and expressed support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts. He also urged Iran to seize “the opportunity to avoid the dangerous implications of escalation.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan similarly called Trump on Wednesday and welcomed the extension of a ceasefire. In a statement, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had said he believed a reasonable solution to the disputed issues was possible.
However, Tehran has accused the U.S. president of plotting to restart the war, threatening to retaliate with attacks beyond the Middle East. “If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The Middle East conflict was triggered on Feb. 28 by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by targeting Israel and U.S. military bases across the region and effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz. In a bid to end the conflict, Pakistan hosted both sides for peace talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12. However, the negotiations concluded without any permanent agreement as both sides remained at odds over Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities and control over the Strait of Hormuz.