Interior minister travels to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Gen Ahmad Vahidi in Tehran during his visit to Iran for meetings with senior Iranian officials,PTV Newsreported on Wednesday.
Earlier. Iran’s state-runIRNAnews agency reported on Wednesday, citing informed diplomatic sources in Islamabad, that Naqvi had travelled to Tehran to hold talks with Iranian officials.
According to the report, the interior minister departed for Tehran for discussions with Iranian authorities.
During the visit, Naqvi held a meeting with Gen Vahidi in Tehran,PTV Newsadded.
وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی اور جنرل احمد وحیدیpic.twitter.com/QYbSq3zqya
The visit marks Naqvi’s secondtrip to Iranin less than a week.
Multiple Pakistani government sources familiar with the matter toldAnadoluthat Naqvi arrived to discuss a “fresh” US proposal with Iranian leaders aimed at ending the lingering Middle East conflict.
The sources said Pakistan-led mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran had entered a “critical phase”.
Naqvi met Gen Vahidi to discuss attempts to revive stalled talks between the two sides, according to the interior ministry.
He also met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni.
According to Pakistani government sources, the minister is also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. other senior officials to discuss the latest US proposal.
The fragile talks between Washington. Tehran have entered a sensitive stage after the two sides exchanged fresh proposals this week, the sources said.
“Currently, Pakistan's top priority is to further strengthen the ceasefire. persuade the two sides to hold another round of direct talks,” the sources said.
They added that prospects for a second round of direct negotiations in Islamabad had improved following recent developments. including US President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone planned strikes on Iran.
Trump said on Monday. he delayed renewed attacks after several regional countries informed him that a deal to fully end the conflict was close.
He said leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates. other countries asked him to delay strikes “because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal”.
The latest US proposal offers “slightly better incentives” to Iran compared to previous offers. the sources said, without disclosing further details.
According to the sources, the proposal includes issues related to Iran’s frozen assets and international sanctions imposed on Tehran.
However. they said Washington offered “no new concession” regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, which remains the central obstacle to reaching an agreement.
Under a 14-point Iranian proposal previously reported byAnadolu. Tehran seeks separate negotiations on its nuclear programme, including enriched uranium issues, within 30 days after a permanent ceasefire is reached.
Washington, however, wants the nuclear issue to be “discussed and resolved” before any permanent ceasefire agreement.
The proposal for “third-party monitoring” also remains under discussion, mainly on the Iranian side, the sources added.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.
Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf. alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation,. subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.
Since then, the two sides have continued exchanging proposals. counter-proposals in an effort to resume direct talks and end the conflict.
During hisprevious visitto Tehran in recent days, Naqvi met with Pezeshkian, Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Momeni.
Naqvi spent nearly 90 minutes in a private meeting with the Iranian president at the Presidential Administration,. his overall visit to the complex lasted around three hours.
Pezeshkian praised what he described as the responsible cooperation of Pakistan, Afghanistan. Iraq in preventing their territories from being used as bases for armed operations against Iran.
The Iranian president also praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during recent tensions, particularly the role of its political. military leadership in supporting ceasefire stabilisation efforts.
As Pakistan continues its diplomatic efforts to seek a “permanent” resolution to the ongoing war between the United States. Iran, it is also reaching out to other stakeholders in an attempt to prevent further deterioration of the regional situation.
Despite several back-and-forth proposals between the two sides, the deadlock persists, threatening a new round of war.
"That is why Pakistan is pushing. persuading both sides not to give up on diplomatic efforts," said a diplomatic source.
What has emerged so far is that Iran and the US remain poles apart on how to end the war.
Iran's semi-officialFars News Agency, considered close to the country's military. security establishment, has revealed that Washington has placed five conditions in response to Tehran's proposal for negotiations.
Those conditions include no war reparations for Iran, transfer of 400 kilogrammes of enriched uranium to the US, retention of only one Iranian nuclear facility, no release of even 25% of Iran's frozen assets,. negotiations linked to an end to the war on all fronts.
Iran, meanwhile, has its own set of conditions, including an end to conflicts across all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, lifting of sanctions, return of frozen assets, war compensation,. recognition of Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
It is believed that Tehran, via Islamabad, has now responded to the US conditions.
Last month, Naqvi accompanied the field marshal during his visit to Tehran
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