Iran21 September, 20262 min read
Masoud Pezeshkian Says US Pressure Pushes Iran And Pakistan Closer In Tehran Meeting
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US pressure pushing Iran and Pakistan closer Iran and Pakistan to expand joint investments and regional cooperation
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Pezeshkian Meets Naqvi
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Monday and said Washington’s pressure was pushing Iran and Pakistan closer. Pezeshkian told Naqvi, "We hope that with the development of joint investments, the expansion of communications, and the facilitation of economic cooperation, we will witness the further deepening of relations between Iran and Pakistan," during the meeting.
Naqvi said Pakistan’s interior ministerial talks with Iran were aimed at strengthening bilateral relations across trade, economy, politics and tourism. Pezeshkian also framed the shift as part of broader regional alignment, saying, "We believe that US actions and pressures have paved the way for increased convergence and continuous interaction among Islamic countries."
Tehran Thanks Pakistan
Iran’s state-run Press TV said Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni thanked Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership for efforts toward regional peace and stability as Naqvi met him in Tehran. Dawn reported that Momeni thanked Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for their efforts toward peace in the region.
Naqvi told Iranian officials that "bilateral relations will become even stronger" between Pakistan and Iran in the coming days, according to Dawn’s account of his remarks. The Iranian presidency office readout, as described by Press TV, said the visit focused on bilateral relations and did not include exchanging specific messages regarding mediation.
US Mediation Dispute
Iranian media and regional reporting diverged on whether Naqvi’s trip carried messages tied to Iran and the United States, with some claims saying the visit was to convey messages from Washington. Press TV said the Iranian presidency office readout had no mention of Pakistan’s efforts to mediate a deal to end the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
Newsquawk cited Tasnim in saying Naqvi’s trip was unrelated to Iran-US matters and would focus on bilateral relations and cooperation. Dawn also placed the visit in the context of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts around the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July between the United States and Iran, intended to end the conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.