TEHRAN: At a time when tensions around Iran and the United States remain delicate, Pakistan is once again stepping forward as a bridge between the two sides.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Tehran on Tuesday and meetings with Iran’s top leadership mark Islamabad’s fresh effort to revive stalled mediation efforts and keep the diplomatic process alive.
Naqvi, who arrived in Tehran earlier in the day, was received by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni before holding talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He later met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with discussions focusing on bilateral relations and Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
A diplomatic source said the main objective of Naqvi’s visit was to follow up on the stalled Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States. The diplomatic process had remained largely inactive as Oman took the lead in negotiations concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Recent progress in Oman-Iran discussions has created an opportunity for Islamabad to revive the broader process that emerged from the June agreement.
During his meeting with Pezeshkian, Naqvi described Pakistan-Iran relations as “strong, long-standing and unbreakable” and conveyed Islamabad’s “serious determination and will” to further strengthen ties with Tehran.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has held talks with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi in Tehran amid mediation efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/EPujsxGqXU
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 11, 2026
Pezeshkian said stronger relations between Iran and Pakistan would serve the national interests of both countries while also contributing to regional peace and security.
Pakistan had recently invited Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf to visit Islamabad at the “earliest possible opportunity.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that the visit would take place “at an appropriate time.”
Naqvi’s visit is therefore significant as Islamabad seeks to maintain its diplomatic channel with Tehran rather than wait for the Iranian leadership to travel to Pakistan.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the wider dispute following the collapse of the Islamabad MoU between Iran and the United States. Iran and Oman have since been discussing arrangements for safe passage through the strategic waterway, including a possible new shipping route and mechanisms for its management.
Iran has maintained that an understanding with Oman would represent only a technical or initial arrangement and would not, by itself, amount to a full reopening of the strait.
According to the diplomatic source, Tehran continues to link the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the implementation of the Islamabad MoU by Washington. Iran considers the presidential-level agreement the main framework for resolving the wider dispute and has called for its implementation rather than selective reinterpretation.
The source said Tehran was also seeking concrete evidence of US political willingness to restore the process, particularly assurances that Washington would return to its obligations under the MoU.
Naqvi’s visit comes days after Pakistan signed a trilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Islamabad has repeatedly stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and is not directed against any country.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke with Araghchi on Monday and shared details of the agreement, highlighting its objectives of strengthening strategic cooperation and contributing to regional peace and security.
Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg that the United States and Iran appeared to be moving closer to an arrangement.
“Things are shaping up again in favour of a peace arrangement or a deal,” Asif said, adding that recent signals indicated the two sides were close to “some sort of an arrangement.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump criticised Iranian negotiators on Tuesday, describing them as “devious” and “dishonest” during an interview with Real America’s Voice.
.@POTUS on Iran: “They’re very devious negotiators because they’ll agree to something, then they’ll go out and tell the press that they never agreed to it. They’re very dishonest people.” pic.twitter.com/zxf9B4lbM9
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 11, 2026
Trump also pointed to Iran’s economic difficulties and inflation, saying Washington could continue applying economic pressure or pursue other measures.
The latest developments come as diplomatic efforts involving Iran, the United States and the Strait of Hormuz remain at a sensitive stage. Pakistan’s renewed engagement with Tehran reflects Islamabad’s attempt to keep communication channels open and support a diplomatic path toward regional stability.
