Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday to engage in discussions with Iranian officials, marking a significant step in Pakistan’s intensified efforts to facilitate renewed dialogue between the United States and Iran. This visit occurs amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, where recent retaliatory attacks have threatened the fragile ceasefire established on April 8.
During his stay, Naqvi is scheduled to meet with top Iranian leadership to convey messages from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Pakistan has played a pivotal role as a mediator since hostilities erupted in the Middle East in late February.
The conflict ignited after coordinated US and Iranian strikes on February 28, followed by Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel and US bases across the region, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan has largely held since April 8, sporadic exchanges of fire continue, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
Prior to his departure for Tehran, Interior Minister Naqvi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the visit and review Pakistan’s internal security and law enforcement situation. The prime minister provided strategic guidance for the mission, emphasizing the importance of Pakistan’s role in regional stability.
In a significant development, tensions flared again on Friday when the US military targeted radar installations in Iran after intercepting drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. Following this, air raid sirens were activated in Gulf allies Kuwait and Bahrain, where explosions were reported. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded early Saturday by launching missile strikes on what they described as “enemy bases” near the Sirik and Qeshm islands, labeling the US actions as an invasion.
US Central Command reported that Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, successfully intercepting six, while the seventh failed to reach its target. The command confirmed there were no casualties among US personnel and dismissed Iranian claims of damage to the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain as false.
