Pakistan's Mohsin Naqvi visits Iran as US-Iran talks gather pace

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jun 20, 2026 16:18 IST

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made an unannounced visit to Iran on Saturday, in what is being described as the first trip by a senior Pakistani official since Washington and Tehran signed an agreement aimed at restoring peace in West Asia.

Reports said Naqvi reached Mashhad before heading to Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials. According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, he will "monitor the ongoing negotiations" between Iran and the US during the visit.

Geo News reported that Naqvi arrived in Mashhad on Saturday but did not give further details. Iranian media later said he was travelling to Tehran for meetings with senior officials there.

The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding this week, leading to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the start of a 60-day negotiation window aimed at restoring peace in West Asia. Pakistan, which played the role of a key mediator in the negotiations, is also a signatory to the memorandum as a guarantor.

There was no official announcement in Islamabad about Naqvi's trip. However, it is believed he will discuss the upcoming technical-level talks between Washington and Tehran. These talks were expected to begin on June 19 but were later postponed.

Axios reported on Saturday that White House envoy Steve Witkoff was travelling to Switzerland, where the first round of talks after the signing of the memorandum is expected to be held, with the focus on Iran's nuclear stock. The report, citing an unnamed source, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also planning to travel to Switzerland.

Naqvi, who is believed to be close to Pakistan's Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, had earlier made at least three strategic visits to Iran to bridge diplomatic gaps and resolve differences with the US before the signing of the memorandum. Official sources also said he has been regularly meeting US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker in Islamabad.

Naqvi's unannounced Iran visit comes at a time when diplomatic activity around the US-Iran agreement is gathering pace, with Pakistan continuing to be linked closely to the process as a mediator and guarantor.

With PTI Inputs

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