What happened
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Sunday, 17 May 2026, on a previously unannounced two-day visit that diplomatic sources linked to Pakistan’s continuing effort to revive the stalled Iran-United States peace process, according to a report in Dawn.
The visit was officially framed around bilateral and border-security cooperation. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad told Dawn that the unscheduled trip was part of Pakistan’s shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing the negotiations from collapsing after momentum from earlier rounds of talks in Islamabad slowed sharply.
Naqvi was expected to meet senior Iranian officials including Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, with discussions likely to cover bilateral security matters and the wider regional situation.
Why it is happening now
The trip came after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to American proposals, complaining that Iranian officials were backtracking on earlier understandings about the handling of highly enriched uranium stockpiles, the report said. A fragile ceasefire brokered earlier through Pakistani mediation was continuing to hold unevenly, with intermittent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and prolonged disruption to global energy shipping.
Statements from both sides
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that contradictory statements by Washington had made Tehran reluctant about US intentions. “The most important question right now is the question of trust. We cannot trust Americans at all,” he said, adding that everything should be defined “very clearly before we can conclude a deal.” Trump, in a telephone interview with the French broadcaster BFMTV, said Iran had “an interest in reaching an agreement” but that he did not know whether a deal would soon be reached, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.
Separately, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov exchanged views on bilateral and multilateral matters, and Saidov appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in mediation for regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said.
Regional context
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with the United Arab Emirates president, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin said, with both emphasising the importance of continuing political and diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the UN Economic and Social Council that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and its economic repercussions were solely the responsibility of those who launched war against Iran and their regional partners. The head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, said Iran had prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through Hormuz along a designated route, under which only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit and fees would be collected for specialised services. Iranian state television, cited by the news agency AFP, said European countries had begun talks with Tehran over transit through the Strait, after ships from East Asian countries including China, Japan and Pakistan passed.
What remains uncertain
It was unclear whether the Tehran visit would produce a new round of face-to-face talks or a fresh proposal. Pakistan has said it remains ready to host another session in Islamabad, but no date had been announced.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Claims by officials are attributed to the outlets that carried them. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-17.
- Dawn — "Pakistan makes fresh bid to revive US-Iran talks"17 May 2026 · Reports Naqvi's unannounced two-day Tehran visit, the stalled US-Iran negotiations, Trump's rejection of Iran's response, Araghchi's remarks, the Dar-Saidov call and the regional diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz.
