TEHRAN: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday held separate meetings with Iran’s top political and military leadership in Tehran as diplomatic efforts intensified to end the ongoing conflict between the Islamic republic and the United States.
During his second visit to Tehran in less than a week, Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials, including Commander-in-Chief General Ahmad Vahidi.
The high-level engagements came amid growing speculation that Tehran and Washington were close to finalising a draft agreement aimed at ending months of hostilities and easing regional tensions.
According to reports by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, a fresh round of negotiations is likely to take place in Islamabad after the completion of Hajj, with sources claiming that the final version of a potential agreement could be announced within hours.
Reports also suggested that an important Pakistani figure is expected to visit Tehran on Thursday as part of ongoing diplomatic coordination between the two sides.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that President Pezeshkian and Naqvi discussed the latest developments in indirect Iran-US negotiations as well as broader regional stability.
The two sides reviewed the “latest status of indirect Iran-US talks” and ongoing diplomatic efforts linked to earlier understandings reached between Tehran and Washington.
During the meeting, the Iranian president stressed the importance of sustained dialogue, enhanced regional cooperation and closer coordination among Islamic countries to avoid further escalation.
The latest diplomatic activity comes nearly six weeks after US President Donald Trump paused Operation Epic Fury under a ceasefire arrangement, while international mediation efforts continued with limited progress.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said negotiations with Iran had entered the “final stages” but warned Tehran of possible military action if an agreement was not reached.
“We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens. Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won’t happen,” Trump said.
According to Reuters, the US president also revealed that he had recently considered ordering further strikes against Iran but decided to delay military action to allow diplomacy more time.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud welcomed Trump’s decision to “give diplomacy a chance” and praised ongoing mediation efforts aimed at securing an acceptable settlement.
In a statement shared on social media, the Saudi minister expressed support for Pakistan’s mediation role and urged Iran to utilise “the opportunity to avoid the dangerous implications of escalation”.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that negotiations between Tehran and Washington were continuing through Pakistani mediators.
According to IRNA, Baghaei stated that Iran’s position remained centred on protecting its rights rather than accepting external demands, adding that the removal of US sanctions remained a key objective for Tehran.
Naqvi’s latest trip follows his earlier two-day visit to Tehran, where he held a 90-minute meeting with President Pezeshkian focused on bilateral relations and Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States.
During that meeting, the Iranian president thanked Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan for not allowing their territories to be used for military operations against Tehran during the conflict.
The renewed diplomatic engagement also comes after Iranian media claimed that Washington had failed to offer meaningful concessions in response to Tehran’s proposals for ending the war.
According to Fars news agency, the United States presented a five-point proposal that included limiting Iran to one operational nuclear facility and transferring its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to Washington.
Mehr news agency reported that Tehran viewed the proposal as an attempt by the United States to secure through negotiations what it had failed to achieve during the conflict, potentially pushing talks towards deadlock.
During a separate meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Naqvi praised Tehran’s diplomatic efforts during Islamabad talks and reiterated Pakistan’s support for peaceful negotiations aimed at protecting regional stability.
He said both countries were witnessing stronger public ties and reaffirmed Islamabad’s goodwill towards Iran’s leadership and people amid continuing tensions in the Middle East.
The regional conflict began after coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Tehran later responded by targeting Israeli positions and US military bases across the region while effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan hosted peace negotiations between both sides in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, but the talks concluded without a permanent agreement as disputes persisted over Iran’s nuclear programme, missile capabilities and control over the Strait of Hormuz.