Iran’s interior minister meets Prime Minister Shehbaz in Islamabad

Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Tuesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X. It added that the meeting is ongoing, while no further details were immediately released.

Earlier, Momeni attended a ceremonial parade at the Islamabad Police Lines during his visit to Pakistan, where he praised the force’s professionalism and presented awards to officers for outstanding performance, according to updates shared by the Ministry of Interior on X.

Momeni arrived in Islamabad on Monday with a high-level delegation amid fresh tensions in the Middle East. The visit came amid heightened regional tensions after the US and Iran exchanged strikes, with Washington targeting sites in Iran and Tehran’s forces retaliating against US military assets in the region.

The US and Iran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month to end their conflict and reach a lasting peace deal, but tensions have escalated again.

Momeni, accompanied by Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, received a warm welcome on arrival at the parade ground. The ministry said the Iranian minister praised the professional abilities of Islamabad police personnel and presented awards to officers in recognition of their achievements.

Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi and other senior police officials were also present.

He also visited the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad along with Chaudhry.

According to the ministry, a contingent of the federal police chief presented the Iranian minister with a guard of honour. He was also briefed on the Pakistan Monument, after which he praised the historical significance of both the monument and the National Martyrs’ Memorial.

During the visit, Momeni saw Islamabad and the Margalla Hills from Shakarparian. Federal Constabulary Inspector General Riaz Nazir Gara, Islamabad Deputy Inspector General of Police Muhammad Jawad Tariq and other officials also accompanied him.

The Iranian delegation includes the Governor General of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Interior, Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Transport, head of the National Iranian Oil Company, a special representative of the Minister of Agriculture and other senior officials.

Also Read: Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrives in Islamabad amid renewed Middle East tensions

According to Anatoliareferring to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIBis visiting Momeni Pakistan at the invitation of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to promote bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad. The Iranian government said in a statement on X that the visit was aimed at increasing border security and bilateral cooperation in transit and agriculture and was in line with the goal of increasing trade from $3 billion. to $10 billion.

“After his visit to Pakistan, Momeni will travel to New Delhi, India, at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, to attend the BRICS meeting of ministers on disaster management, focusing on disaster risk reduction,” it said.

Conflicts escalate

US forces struck Iran for a ninth straight day on Monday as concerns grew over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said two oil tankers had exploded and been immobilized.

In a statement, US Central Command said it had begun “a new wave of attacks” aimed at “degrading” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait’s vital shipping lanes. It gave no further details.

The attacks are part of an escalating cycle of attacks between the United States and Iran after a tentative ceasefire agreement signed a month ago unraveled, deepening a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz that has disrupted energy supplies and raised fears of global inflation.

A joint de-escalation proposal by Pakistan and Qatar had urged the US and Iran to return to their pre-July 9 positions “as a first step” to resume stalled talks to permanently end their months-long war, Pakistani government sources said. Anatolia.