Iranian interior minister meets PM Shehbaz in Islamabad

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Tuesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X. It added that the meeting is underway, while no further details were immediately released.

Earlier, Momeni attended a ceremonial parade at Islamabad Police Lines during his visit to Pakistan, where he praised the force’s professionalism and presented awards to officers for outstanding performance, according to updates shared by the Ministry of Interior on X.

Momeni arrived in Islamabad on Monday along with a high-level delegation amid fresh tensions in the Middle East. The visit came amid heightened regional tensions after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes, with Washington targeting locations in Iran and Tehran’s forces responding against US military assets in the region.

The US and Iran signed a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding last month to end their conflict and reach a lasting peace agreement, but tensions escalated again.

Momeni, accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, received a warm welcome on arrival at the parade ground. The ministry said the Iranian minister commended the professional capabilities of Islamabad Police personnel and distributed awards to officers in recognition of their performance.

Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi and other senior police officials were also present.

He also visited the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad alongside Chaudhry.

According to the ministry, a contingent of the Federal Constabulary presented the Iranian minister with a guard of honour. He was also briefed on the Pakistan Monument, after which he praised the historical significance of both the monument and the National Martyrs’ Memorial.

During the visit, Momeni viewed Islamabad and the Margalla Hills from Shakarparian. Federal Constabulary Inspector General Riaz Nazir Gara, Islamabad Deputy Inspector General of Police Muhammad Jawad Tariq, and other officials also accompanied him.

The Iranian delegation includes the governor general of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran’s deputy interior minister, deputy minister for urban development and transport, head of the National Iranian Oil Company, a special representative of the agriculture minister and other senior officials.

Also Read: Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrives in Islamabad amid fresh Mideast tensions

According to Anadolu, citing Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, Momeni is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to advance bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad. The Iranian government, in a post on X, stated that the visit aimed to boost border security and bilateral cooperation in transit and agriculture and aligned with the goal to increase trade from $3b to $10b.

“Following his Pakistan visit, Momeni will travel to New Delhi, India, at the invitation of his Indian counterpart to attend the BRICS Meeting of Ministers for Disaster Management, focusing on disaster risk reduction,” it stated.

Conflict escalates

US forces hit Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Monday as concerns grew over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said two oil tankers had exploded and been immobilised.

In a statement, US Central Command said it had begun “a new wave of strikes” aimed at “degrading” Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels in the strait’s vital shipping lanes. It gave no further details.

The strikes are part of an escalating cycle of attacks between the US and Iran after an interim ceasefire agreement signed a month ago unravelled, deepening a struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz that has disrupted energy supplies and stoked fears of global inflation.

A joint de-escalation proposal by Pakistan and Qatar had urged the United States and Iran to return to their pre-July 9 positions “as a first step” to resume stalled talks to permanently end their months-long war, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu.