Iranian President Visits Pakistan as US-Iran Peace Talks Progress Amid Lebanon Violence

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for an official visit to discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts following the signing of a US-Iran peace memorandum of understanding (MoU). The visit marks Pezeshkian’s first trip to Pakistan since the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States and Israel on February 28.

During the visit, Pezeshkian is expected to hold meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to exchange views on bilateral relations, regional stability, and economic cooperation. The two leaders are scheduled to address the media together after their discussions. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and other high-ranking officials received Pezeshkian upon his arrival amid tight security.

The visit comes as technical teams from the US and Iran work on finalizing details following high-level negotiations in Switzerland on Monday, where both sides reportedly reached agreements on key issues. However, discrepancies have emerged regarding what was agreed upon. US Vice President JD Vance stated that negotiations secured an agreement for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to visit Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the US last year. But in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that no IAEA visits were scheduled, and the IAEA has not commented on the matter.

Meanwhile, violence flared again in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing two men near the town of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The reports of violence came after two days of calm following a ceasefire brokered on Saturday. Iran has demanded that a full truce in Lebanon be part of any comprehensive deal with the US, and any renewal of heavy fighting could threaten the broader diplomatic talks. The US and Iran have discussed "mechanisms" to ensure the free flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit route that Iran effectively blocked during the war.

Ahead of his meetings, Pezeshkian cautioned that "the effectiveness of the talks depends on full commitment to the agreed obligations and their precise implementation." Iran has suggested that the talks in Switzerland led to the creation of specific negotiation groups focused on sanctions relief, nuclear issues, reconstruction, and monitoring. The two sides also formed a contact mechanism to address shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the fighting in Lebanon.