Iran and Pakistan reviewed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the stalled Iran-U.S. peace negotiations mediated by Islamabad, as Tehran and Washington continue to refuse tangible concessions amid a fragile ceasefire and escalating verbal threats.
Seen as the latest bid to relaunch the stalled talks, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi visited Tehran over the weekend, where he met his counterpart as well as President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliamentary Speaker and chief negotiator with the U.S., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
According to official sources, the two sides discussed cross-border security cooperation aimed at boosting trade, as well as the latest regional developments, including the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.
President Pezeshkian praised neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq for preventing terrorists and hostile countries from misusing their territory against Iran and “specially appreciated Pakistan for its mediation efforts resulting in a ceasefire.”
“The enemies sought to bring insecurity into our country by providing financial, intelligence, and military support to terrorist groups. However, Iran’s neighbours acted responsibly and cooperated to prevent any misuse of their territory against our country, a valuable and commendable step.”
“In this regard, I sincerely thank the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq for not allowing their soil to be used for any action against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the President’s Office quoted him as saying.
Speaker Ghalibaf also told the visiting Pakistani minister that while some regional governments believed U.S. bases would bring them security, recent events had shown they instead created instability.
“The recent imposed conflict against Iran showed that America and the Zionist regime bring only evil and insecurity to all the nations and countries of our region,” he said, according to the Parliament News Agency ICANA.
“Some governments in the region thought that America's presence would bring them security, but recent events showed that this presence not only does not bring security, but also creates the ground for insecurity.”
As the Iran-U.S. standoff intensifies, with both sides refusing to offer significant concessions to resume peace talks, diplomatic activity has continued under a fragile ceasefire.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held telephone calls over the weekend with his counterparts from South Korea, Qatar, France and Türkiye regarding “bilateral ties and latest regional developments including the current diplomatic processes”, the Foreign Ministry announced.
The calls came after his visit to India last week to attend the BRICS ministerial meeting. On the sidelines of the New Delhi gathering, he urged the U.S. to seek a solution to its dispute with Iran beyond military options.
However, in a new sign of escalation, military and civilian officials in Tehran promised crushing blow to a renewed Israel-U.S. conflict on Iran, with state broadcaster airing weapons training programmes.
The Senior Spokesman of the Armed Forces General Abolfazl Shekarchi told reporters that repeating any attack against Iran will receive “further crushing blows”, Defa Press website dedicated to the military news reported on Sunday.
Whereas the top general was not specific about Iran’s response, Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Hamid Reza Hajibabaei in a televised interview warned that any strike at Iran's energy infrastructure will result in a total shutdown of regional oil production.
“If Iran's oil is to be harmed, Iran will ensure that the United States and the world cannot receive oil from the region for a significant period of time,” ISNA news agency quoted the senior MP as saying.
Meanwhile, state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting aired programmes on weapons training ranging from light machine guns to portable RPG launchers. In one programme, a presenter fired an AK-47 assault rifle at the UAE flag.
A senior state broadcasting official defended the programmes, saying they were also intended to promote cultural and social responsibility as the country faces the threat of renewed Israel-U.S. conflict.
There were also reports of similar training sessions taking place in major squares across the capital, Tehran, during night-time rallies where participants expressed support for the Iranian Armed Forces while chanting slogans against Israel, the U.S. and their regional allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify...
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify with Ireland, remarks made during a visit to Dublin that drew a sharp response from pro-British unionists in Northern Ireland.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
BRICS leaders have called for maximum restraint over the war in the Middle East, warning against actions that could further worsen tensions as the United States and Iran resume strikes against each other.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment