Staff Report
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Pakistan’s civil and military leadership during his short stay in Islamabad following his return from Oman, sources said on Sunday.
During his brief visit, Araghchi held a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior Pakistani officials, sources said, as Pakistan tries to keep the US-Iran peace talks on track despite President Donald Trump calling off his envoys’ planned trip.
The sources said that the Iranian foreign minister later left for Moscow after concluding his short visit to Islamabad.
Following Araghchi’s departure, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that traffic restrictions around the Serena Hotel and the Red Zone in Islamabad have ended.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of Pakistan — especially the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi — for their patience and cooperation,” he wrote in a post on X.
DPM Dar said that the Pakistanis’ support enabled the government “to ensure the safety” of guests and to continue efforts for peace in the region.
Pakistan remains committed to these goals, he said, adding that the government was in need of continued prayers and well wishes.
FM Araghchi, during his visit to Oman, held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
Araghchi had been in Islamabad only the day before, after which he travelled to Oman, while other Iranian envoys had headed back to Tehran “to consult and obtain the necessary instructions on issues related to ending the war”, according to ISNA.
Before Saturday’s Iran-Pakistan meetings in Islamabad, the White House had announced that Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were planning to leave for Pakistan to engage in further negotiations.
But Trump later told media he had scrapped the trip, saying there was no point “sitting around talking about nothing”. He dismissed Tehran’s negotiating position, but added that it had revised its proposal within minutes of his decision.
“They gave us a paper that should have been better and — interestingly — immediately when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” he told reporters, without elaborating.
‘Very fruitful’
Asked separately whether halting the trip meant a return to open hostilities, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”
Later, after a gunman was arrested at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, Trump said he did not think the incident was related to Iran but that it would not deter him “from winning the war”.
A day earlier, Araghchi met Field Marshal Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, before flying to Muscat.
Araghchi described his initial Pakistan trip as “very fruitful” but signalled scepticism over Washington’s intentions. “Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.
