Pakistan envoy heads to Iran to rescue US-Iran deal

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in the Iranian city of Mashhad on Saturday to revive a fragile US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). His visit aims to preserve momentum for the accord, which seeks to reduce regional tensions, after scheduled technical negotiations in Switzerland were postponed.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that Naqvi's visit is part of ongoing coordination between Pakistan and Iran. The Pakistani minister is expected to hold urgent meetings with his Iranian counterparts, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Discussions will likely focus on implementation disputes that have delayed the next phase of negotiations and threatened progress on the recently signed agreement.

The technical talks, initially set to begin Friday at Switzerland's Bürgenstock resort, were postponed due to disagreements over compliance with the accord's terms, not a complete collapse of negotiations. According to Iranian officials, Tehran insists on key provisions from the Islamabad Memorandum, including an immediate and permanent ceasefire across all fronts, reciprocal lifting of restrictions, continued reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, US waivers for Iranian oil exports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The postponement occurred amid renewed Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, which Tehran views as a violation of the ceasefire framework. Iran has increasingly tied its participation in the 60-day negotiating process to Washington's ability to ensure Israeli de-escalation efforts in Lebanon. Senior American officials were reportedly en route to Switzerland when the talks were delayed. Diplomats from several countries remain at the Bürgenstock venue to maintain communication channels.

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Naqvi's visit forms part of ongoing coordination between the two countries.