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 Mohsen 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.
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The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
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