Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Saturday to engage in discussions with senior Iranian officials as Pakistan continues its efforts to facilitate the US-Iran negotiations. His visit to Mashhad is part of ongoing diplomatic initiatives following the electronic signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Naqvi’s arrival, highlighting Pakistan’s role in supporting the dialogue between Washington and Tehran. During his visit, Naqvi is scheduled to meet with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss the progress of the talks.
Pakistan has played a pivotal role as a mediator in these negotiations, achieving a significant diplomatic milestone on June 15 when US President Donald Trump announced that Washington had signed the MoU with Iran to promote peace in the region. Subsequently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally endorsed the Islamabad MoU as the mediator, solidifying the historic agreement.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on June 18 detailed that the Islamabad MoU was signed by Sharif as mediator, while US President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed on behalf of their nations. Further negotiations were planned to take place at Switzerland’s Bürgenstock resort on Friday; however, these talks were postponed.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed the delay but reiterated its commitment to providing a neutral venue for future discussions. The postponement followed the announcement that US Vice President JD Vance canceled his scheduled trip to Switzerland. These talks were intended to initiate a 60-day negotiation phase to implement the preliminary agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Prior to the postponement, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency emphasized the need for tangible signs of US compliance with the interim deal. Following the delay, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated there was no immediate urgency to meet US negotiators in Switzerland, noting that since the MoU was digitally signed on June 18, the timing for further meetings could be flexible. The ministry indicated plans to convene discussions in the near future.
Meanwhile, the Swiss Foreign Ministry continues to offer a confidential and dependable environment at Bürgenstock to support the implementation talks of the US-Iran MoU. The ministry also stressed that details regarding participants and the content of the discussions would remain confidential.
