Islamabad, Apr 25 (PTI) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Pakistan’s top civil and military leaders on Saturday and discussed the regional situation and the ongoing peace dialogue with the US, as the prospects for a second round of US-Iran talks this week appear to be diminishing.
Araghchi, who arrived in Islamabad late on Friday, met Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday, the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan said on X, but did not provide details about their discussions.
The meeting, as shown in a brief video posted by the Iranian embassy on social media, was also attended by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, and Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials were also part of the Pakistani side.
“Araghchi met Munir in a formal huddle and discussed matters concerning peace talks with the US,” a senior government official told PTI.
The Iranian delegation later called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the two sides “reviewed bilateral matters as well as regional developments,” the Iranian embassy said.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Army chief Munir were also present at the meeting, where the two sides discussed the situation in the region, the prime minister’s office said.
The Iranian delegation is likely to depart without waiting for the arrival of the US envoys for talks, the Pakistani official said, ruling out the possibility of any direct talks between Iran and the US this week.
“Araghchi seems to have conveyed ‘certain concerns’ of Iran to Pakistan, which Islamabad will share with the visiting US delegation upon its arrival. If the US agrees to placate these concerns and give some understanding, then the second round of direct talks will take place between them later in Islamabad,” the official said.
There is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit.
Earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Baqaei said that “no meeting” was planned to take place between Iran and the US during the visit of Araghchi, who will also travel to Oman and Russia.
“Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan,” he said.
Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, on Friday said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments”.
“Our neighbours are our priority,” he said.
As the Iranian team landed in Islamabad, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday “to engage in direct talks” with representatives of the Iranian delegation.
However, the US team has not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dar on Saturday said that Pakistan is facilitating the Iran-US talks and it will continue with efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region and beyond, amid uncertainties over the second round of negotiations between the two sides to end the war. Dar, who held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the latest developments in the region, underlined that Pakistan’s official policy statements on the Iran-US facilitation process are only those issued by official sources, the Foreign Office said in a statement. “Unnamed Pakistani officials or sources, whether quoted in print or social media, do not reflect Pakistan’s official position,” he added.
Dar also advised print and electronic media to refrain from speculative reporting and focus on official statements only.
In a related development, Dar spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and shared developments regarding Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“He emphasised that sustained engagement through dialogue and diplomacy remains the only viable means for promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond,” according to FO.
On Friday night, Dar discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, highlighting the importance of dialogue and diplomacy.
“They emphasised the importance of sustained engagement to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the FO said.
Dar has been leading Pakistan’s telephone diplomacy and has been regularly talking to the foreign ministers of various countries since the conflict between the US and Iran began.
The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
Meanwhile, large parts of Pakistan’s capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, anticipating another round of talks between the US and Iran.
Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon.
In the adjacent commercial ‘Blue Area’, markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded.
For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend.
This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another round of engagements, which has yet to materialise.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region. PTI MZ/SH SCY RD ZH RD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.