Iran FM to Visit Islamabad Thursday

During his stay in Islamabad, Zarif is to hold talks with the foreign minister and other top officials of Pakistan on the latest developments in bilateral ties, particularly the recent agreements made between the Iranian president and the Pakistani prime minister.

They will also discuss the most important regional and international issues.

Back in April, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan paid his first-ever visit to Tehran, during which the two sides agreed to expand their mutual cooperation in ensuring the security of common borders by establishing a joint Rapid Reaction force.

Relations between Iran and Pakistan have soured in recent months, with both countries accusing each other of not doing enough to eradicate militants sheltering across the border. Tehran says militant groups operate from the Pakistani soil and has repeatedly called on Islamabad to clamp down on them.

Tehran has also beefed up security along its long border with Pakistan after a suicide bomber killed nearly 30 members of the IRGC in mid-February. Iranian officials said the attackers were based inside Pakistan.

Pakistani will be the fifth Asian state visited by the Iranian top diplomat during the past few days.

He earlier paid official visits to Turkmenistan, India, Japan, and China, where he held consultations with the four countries’ top officials on the latest developments, especially the Iran-US tension.