MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described his recent visit to Islamabad as highly productive, stating that he held “good consultations” with Pakistan’s leadership regarding the ongoing West Asia conflict. The remarks were made upon his arrival in St. Petersburg, Russia, following a brief trip to Pakistan.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan marked his second in the span of three days. During his stay, he met with the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Sunday evening. Araghchi shared his assessment of the trip via a video message posted on his Telegram channel, indicating that discussions focused on the direction and conditions for future peace talks.
The Iranian minister highlighted that “developments have taken place in the negotiations” concerning the broader peace efforts in West Asia. He attributed the failure of earlier rounds of talks between Iran and the United States to the American approach, citing “excessive demands” and “wrong approaches” adopted by the U.S. delegation. Araghchi stated that consulting with Pakistani counterparts was necessary to review the latest situation.
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Araghchi viewed his trip to Pakistan as a valuable opportunity to discuss developments related to the conflict involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran. He expressed confidence that the coordination and consultations between Iran and Pakistan would prove significant.
Araghchi arrived at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg on Monday, where he was received by Russian officials, including Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali. The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet with the Iranian foreign minister.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the United States, held on April 11 and 12, did not yield the intended results for the involved parties. Prior to his visit to Islamabad, Araghchi had visited Oman, where he engaged in discussions with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said concerning security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the Iran-U.S. conflict.
The diplomatic maneuvering followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer proceed to Islamabad for talks with Iran, with Trump asserting that Washington held a superior position. President Trump had previously indicated that direct phone conversations between U.S. and Iranian officials could lead to a peace solution. On Tuesday, the U.S. extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, providing Tehran additional time to formulate a unified proposal to end the war.
The conflict escalated when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking commanders. The subsequent retaliation by Iran extended the hostilities across the entire Gulf region.
The Chenab Times News Desk