Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni holds talks with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif amid US-Iran escalation

A high-level Iranian delegation led by Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni on Tuesday held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir as tensions between Iran and the United States continued to escalate.

Momeni met Sharif at the Prime Minister's official residence, Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a post on X, without disclosing details of the discussions. Earlier in the day, he also met Munir, according to Iranian state media.

The Iranian minister is also scheduled to hold talks with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who invited him to Islamabad.


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The visit comes as Iran and the US continue to exchange military strikes across West Asia. Pakistan is believed to be among the countries working behind the scenes to encourage a pause in hostilities and revive diplomatic negotiations.

Islamabad has previously played a mediation role between Washington and Tehran and is now seeking to prevent the collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a 14-point interim peace agreement signed last month between the US and Iran.

Beyond regional security, the talks are expected to focus on strengthening bilateral economic ties, including expanding trade, improving cross-border connectivity and reviving discussions on the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

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Momeni arrived in Islamabad on Monday evening and was received by Naqvi. He later laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhda, where he was given a ceremonial guard of honour, and visited Islamabad's Shakarparian Park.

Speaking after his arrival, Momeni said Pakistan and Iran should expand cross-border transport links to support a bilateral trade target of USD 10 billion.

He said both countries aim to increase annual trade from USD 3 billion to USD 10 billion and that the visit was aimed at "developing relations and following up on agreements reached during President Masoud Pezeshkian's trip to Pakistan about one month ago".

"Creating the necessary conditions on both sides of the border will be a main focus of discussions on this trip," he said, adding that regional developments would also be on the agenda.

Pakistan and Iran share a 900-km border and have been working to deepen trade, connectivity, and cultural and religious ties.