Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a one-day official visit following Pakistan-mediated talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland. Pakistani leaders accorded him a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour upon his arrival.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, senior government officials, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received the visiting president. Pezeshkian travelled aboard a special Mirage Airlines aircraft identified as Minab 168.
According to Iranian officials, the aircraft’s identification symbolically commemorates 168 children killed in an attack on a school in Iran’s Minab city. Iranian authorities linked the incident to the United States and Israel.
The visit follows the opening round of high-level US-Iran negotiations held in Buergenstock, Switzerland. Pakistan and Qatar facilitated the talks, which concluded with a proposed 60-day roadmap toward a final agreement.
Habibollah Abbasi, Director of Public Relations at the Iranian president’s office, said Pezeshkian will thank Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Pakistan’s mediation efforts. He added that strengthening bilateral ties also remains a key objective of the visit.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that the Iranian president is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers and senior officials. During the visit, Pezeshkian will meet President Zardari and hold detailed discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz.
Both countries will review their bilateral relationship and explore cooperation in trade, energy, border security, regional connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. Furthermore, the leaders will discuss recent diplomatic developments following the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
The Foreign Office said the visit reflects Pakistan and Iran’s shared commitment to strengthening their historic relationship. It also highlighted both countries’ common goal of promoting regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, mediators said the first round of US-Iran talks achieved encouraging progress. The two sides also agreed to continue technical discussions while working toward a comprehensive agreement within 60 days. They additionally established mechanisms to address tensions in Lebanon and safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
