ISLAMABAD – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has landed in Pakistan as he started high-profile regional diplomatic tour, with planned visits to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow.
Araghchis’s mission is not routine diplomacy but a critical round of consultations focused on bilateral ties, rapidly unfolding regional developments, and what it describes as the latest situation surrounding the “war imposed by the United States and the Israeli government against Iran.” The timing of the tour comes amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvering.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that the United States is preparing a powerful negotiating team for Islamabad, including Trump-era figures Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to senior US officials cited by CNN, these envoys are being dispatched specifically for discussions on potential peace talks with Iran.
The report further suggests that US Vice President JD Vance is not currently expected to attend, nor is Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. However, officials have not ruled out the possibility that Vance could travel to Islamabad if diplomatic progress is made.
In Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called the arrival of the Iranian delegation as a major diplomatic breakthrough at a critical moment for regional stability.
The visit comes after direct contact from Araghchi, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar immediately reached out to the prime minister and briefed him on his conversation with the Iranian foreign minister.
Subsequently, Shehbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar held high-level discussions focused on escalating regional security concerns, rising tensions, and the upcoming second round of Iran–US talks. Pakistan is actively engaged in efforts to bring both sides back to the negotiating table.
PM Sharif has reportedly issued urgent policy and diplomatic directives aimed at promoting peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region. He has also ordered an intensification of high-level diplomatic outreach and continuous consultation as Islamabad positions itself at the center of ongoing mediation efforts.
With sensitive negotiations, multiple delegations, and high-profile international envoys converging on the region, Islamabad has effectively become a focal point of global diplomatic attention. Pakistan, meanwhile, continues to push for dialogue, confidence-building, and a negotiated path forward as tensions remain dangerously elevated.
