Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to arrive in Pakistan today following a breakthrough in talks between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland, which were mediated by Islamabad.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, one of the main objectives of Masoud Pezeshkian’s Pakistan visit is to thank Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office later confirmed the visit, saying the Iranian president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers and senior officials.
During his stay, President Pezeshkian will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He is also scheduled to meet Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
This will be Pezeshkian’s second visit to Pakistan since assuming office as Iran’s president.
The Foreign Office said the two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and explore ways to expand cooperation in trade, energy, border security, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
The visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss recent diplomatic engagements following the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, as well as regional and international developments.
Pakistan said the visit reflects the two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening their historic ties and promoting peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.
The visit comes after the United States and Iran reported encouraging progress during the first round of talks in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final peace agreement.
In a joint statement, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said Washington and Tehran had agreed on a roadmap to reach a final deal within 60 days. Technical-level discussions will continue throughout the week at the Swiss resort of Buergenstock.
The two sides also agreed on a mechanism to end fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah and established a communication channel to ensure safe passage for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Vice President JD Vance said Iran had agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to return to the country, calling it a major step towards addressing concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking after the talks, Vance said negotiators had laid a strong foundation for a final agreement, although significant work remained.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the negotiations as constructive and said they had yielded encouraging progress. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting dialogue and diplomacy aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability.
The prime minister also thanked Qatar for helping advance the talks and expressed gratitude to Switzerland for hosting the negotiations.
After concluding his visit to Switzerland, Prime Minister Shehbaz returned to Pakistan, where senior Swiss officials and Pakistan’s ambassador to Switzerland saw him off at Zurich Airport.
