US pressure has strengthened ties among Muslim countries, Pezeshkian says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said US pressure had encouraged greater cooperation and closer ties among Muslim countries as he met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Tuesday.

According to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, the meeting focused on bilateral relations, regional developments and efforts to finalise agreements and expand cooperation between Pakistan and Iran.

Pezeshkian called for continued engagement between the two countries, saying Pakistan and Iran could further strengthen cooperation across various sectors.

He described Iran and Pakistan as two influential countries in the region with significant human resources and abundant natural resources. If their capabilities were combined and the two countries supported each other, he said, they could meet many of their needs by relying more on local and regional resources.

According to Press TV, Naqvi said Pakistan was committed to expanding cooperation with Iran in trade, the economy, tourism and political affairs. He added that Islamabad also wanted to broaden cooperation with Tehran in the fields of culture and science.

The interior minister said relations between Pakistan and Iran were currently at a level that had not been seen before.

Naqvi meets Iranian interior minister

Earlier, Naqvi met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, to discuss bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.

The two sides reviewed progress in ongoing cooperation across various sectors. Momeni expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, including the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Naqvi said bilateral ties were expected to become stronger in the coming period.

Iran dismisses reports of US message

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed speculation that Naqvi had travelled to Iran carrying a special message or proposal from the United States.

Speaking in a television interview, Baghaei said the visit was taking place entirely within the framework of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran.

He acknowledged Pakistan’s role in mediation efforts and said Islamabad could discuss regional issues, but added that there had so far been no indication that Naqvi was carrying any specific message or proposal from Washington.

Earlier, regional media outlets, including Al Jazeera, had reported that Naqvi’s visit could involve conveying messages from the US government to Iran.