Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to visit Islamabad on Tuesday, three Pakistani government officials said, as Tehran and Washington move forward with a new diplomatic process aimed at resolving months of conflict and reaching a final agreement within 60 days.
The expected visit will come a day after Pakistan and Qatar announced that talks between the United States and Iran in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, had produced a Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated 60-day roadmap and established new mechanisms aimed at preventing clashes in Lebanon and safeguarding commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Visit Confirmed by Officials
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is most likely to visit Pakistan tomorrow [Tuesday],” a government official with direct knowledge of the matter told Arab News, requesting anonymity. Two other officials also confirmed the planned visit but declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly before an official announcement.
The talks in Switzerland were the first high-level meeting held under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a Pakistan-brokered agreement signed last week after months of conflict triggered by joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February. The accord launched a diplomatic process aimed at resolving disputes including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions and regional security issues.
Joint Statement on Progress
A joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar on Monday said the meeting had yielded “encouraging progress.” “The High-Level Committee has agreed upon a roadmap toward reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks,” the statement said.
According to the statement, a newly established High-Level Committee will provide political oversight of the mediation process, while chief negotiators will lead working groups focused on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution. The mediators also announced the creation of a communication line aimed at preventing “incidents and miscommunication” and ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route.
De-confliction Cell and Technical Talks
In addition, the parties agreed to establish a “de-confliction cell” involving Lebanon and facilitated by Pakistan and Qatar to support implementation of provisions in the memorandum relating to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said separately that Iran, the United States and the mediators had agreed on executive mechanisms to oversee implementation of the accord and confirmed that expert- and technical-level talks would continue.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a halt to hostilities and negotiations toward a broader settlement between Washington and Tehran.
