May 17, 2026, ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf on Sunday as the two sides discussed reviving stalled peace talks between the United States and Tehran, Iranian state media reported, amid Islamabad’s efforts to help end the Middle East conflict.
Naqvi arrived in the Iranian capital on Saturday for a two-day visit as Pakistan aims to facilitate dialogue and promote regional peace, a statement from the Pakistani embassy in Tehran on Telegram said. He was received by the Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni upon his arrival at the airport.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator since the war erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on Feb. 28. The attacks triggered Iranian retaliation and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.
While a fragile ceasefire announced on Apr. 8 remains in place, negotiations between Washington and Tehran have largely stalled following a first round of direct talks in Islamabad, with disputes over Iran’s uranium enrichment program and regional security continuing to hamper progress.
“Official meetings of the mediator’s representative in Tehran with senior Iranian leaders continue,” the state-run IRNA news agency said after Naqvi’s meeting with Ghalibaf, without sharing further details.
Ghalibaf has been a key negotiator from the Iranian side who visited Pakistan on April 11-12 for talks with top US officials, though the two sides failed to reach a breakthrough.
Earlier, the Pakistani embassy in Iran said Naqvi and his Iranian counterpart held detailed discussions “on Iran-Pakistan relations and the prospects for resuming peace talks.”
Momeni praised the “sincere and committed efforts” of Pakistan’s chief of defense forces, Field Marshal General Asim Munir, to resolve the ongoing dispute, according to the Pakistani embassy statement. The Iranian interior minister appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability.
“Iran has always been a supporter of peace and we deeply appreciate Pakistan’s efforts in this regard,” Momeni was quoted as saying by the embassy. “We view Pakistan’s initiatives with great respect and admiration.”
The second round of talks between the US and Iran was expected to take place last month. However, negotiations did not take place as US President Donald Trump canceled the planned visit of a US team of negotiators, citing differences with Iran’s peace proposal.
Pakistan, which has been accepted as the chief mediator by both Iran and the US, hopes to broker a peace agreement between the two sides as it attempts to mitigate the economic fallout of the ongoing conflict.
The conflict between the US and Iran has driven up oil prices and caused inflationary pressures among developing countries, among them Pakistan.
