Pakistani interior minister heads to Iran for Houthi talks
11:32, 21/09/2026, MondayU: Update: 11:44, 21/09/2026, Monday
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Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran on Monday for his sixth visit since the US-Israel war began, carrying a mandate to discuss Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and revive stalled peace talks between Iran and Washington, government sources said.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi departed for Tehran on Monday for his sixth visit since the US-Israel war against Iran began in February, carrying a mandate to discuss Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and the stalled peace process with Washington, Pakistani government sources said.
Naqvi, who has worked alongside Pakistan's army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir in mediation efforts, would discuss matters related to attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group on Saudi Arabia's oil and economic infrastructure, the sources added. He is also expected to explore avenues for reviving peace talks between Tehran and Washington that have remained frozen since summer.
Diplomatic Agenda
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Saturday stated that Naqvi's visit would focus primarily on bilateral relations rather than carrying specific mediation messages. "Naqvi's visit to Tehran will focus on bilateral relations, and there is no plan to exchange any specific messages regarding mediation," Baqaei said, according to Anadolu.
Islamabad has served as the primary mediator between Iran and the US throughout the war, maintaining close contact with both sides despite the diplomatic freeze. Pakistan hosted the first highest-level direct talks between Washington and Tehran since they severed diplomatic ties in 1979 following the April ceasefire, establishing itself as a crucial intermediary in the regional crisis.
Stalled Negotiations
The US and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding in June and launched negotiations toward a final agreement, though the talks later collapsed over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most strategic energy routes. Washington and Tehran exchanged military strikes in July, and US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he is contemplating three possible paths for Iran: "Continue targeting economically, destroying the regime or making a deal."