Iranian President in Pakistan on First Foreign Visit After US Deal

Iranian President Masoud Pajhwok has arrived in Pakistan on his first foreign visit since a landmark deal with the United States. This is his first state visit since the US and Israel launched their attacks on February 28.

Al Jazeera reported that upon his arrival at a military base near Islamabad on Tuesday (June 23), he was welcomed by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

President Pajhwok is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers and senior officials on this one-day state visit. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and also meet President Zardari.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said that during the visit, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will also meet with the Iranian president.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry said that the two countries will review the overall progress of bilateral relations and explore new ways to deepen cooperation in various fields, including trade, energy, border security, increasing people-to-people contacts and regional connectivity.

Pjeshkian's visit comes at a time when the first important round of post-war talks between the United States and Iran was recently held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.

As part of those talks, the United States agreed to release $12 billion seized by Iran. Washington also announced a temporary relaxation of international sanctions to allow Iran to sell oil and petrochemical products until August 21. A 60-day roadmap has been set for a final agreement at the end of the talks.

Earlier, the ‘Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding’ signed on June 18 by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pajhwok Afghan News was signed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the mediator.

It is worth noting that this is Pajhwok Afghan News’s second visit to Pakistan as the Iranian president. He had previously visited Pakistan in August 2025. At that time, he went to Islamabad shortly after the end of the 12-day Iran-Israel war, which was his first foreign visit after that conflict.