Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi arrived in Mashhad on Saturday for talks with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, as Islamabad intensifies its mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran. The visit, welcomed by Iranian state media, comes days after the two adversaries signed a 14-point memorandum brokered by Pakistan.

The memorandum, signed remotely by President Pezeshkian and President Donald Trump on Wednesday, outlines a permanent cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the removal of a US naval blockade within 30 days. It also promises a $300bn reconstruction plan for Iran, phased sanctions relief, and the release of frozen assets, in exchange for Tehran’s renewed commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons and further talks on its enriched uranium. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the accord for its potential to strengthen regional stability. Islamabad had formally assumed a mediation role after a spike in military tensions in late February, which Iranian sources characterise as US-Israeli aggression. Its shuttle diplomacy helped broker a ceasefire that took hold on 8 April, paving the way for the memorandum.

The diplomatic momentum, however, faces immediate headwinds. A scheduled next round of technical negotiations, set for Friday, was abruptly cancelled, according to a US official cited by CNN Brasil, amid an escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah. US envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly travelling to Switzerland, where Jared Kushner is also expected, but no new date has been set. The cancellation underscores how the broader regional confrontation — particularly along the Israel-Lebanon border — threatens to derail the Iran-US track, diplomats in European capitals warn.

Viewed from Tehran, the Pakistani channel offers a de-escalatory backchannel that circumvents direct US-Iran talks, while providing economic relief from sanctions. For Islamabad, the mediation cements its role as a regional power broker, though analysts in London caution that Pakistan’s influence depends on its ability to keep both sides at the table despite provocations from third parties. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed Naqvi’s visit is a continuation of the mediation initiative, with meetings planned with Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. As the US envoy awaits clarity in Geneva, Pakistani officials remain in Tehran, signalling that the diplomatic effort is still moving forward, even if the road to a final settlement remains uncertain.