An Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday night to discuss regional developments and ongoing peace efforts, a spokesman for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Tahir Andrabi, the spokesman, said in a social media post that Araghchi is scheduled to meet Pakistan's leadership to exchange views on the evolving regional situation and efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability.
Upon arrival, the Iranian foreign minister was received by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with other senior officials.
Araghchi currently has no negotiation plans with U.S. representatives, but will convey messages to the U.S. side through Pakistani mediators, according to Iranian sources on Friday.
However, the White House said Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are heading to Pakistan for talks with Araghchi this weekend.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. negotiating team during the first round of talks in Pakistan earlier this month, is not currently planning to attend the upcoming talks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding he will be standing by and consulting Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Earlier in the day, Araghchi said in a social media post that he was embarking on a regional tour that includes stops in Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow. Araghchi emphasized that the purpose of the visit is to closely coordinate with partners on bilateral affairs and to consult on the regional situation. He also noted that Iran's neighbors are a priority for Iran.
Iranian delegation led by FM arrives in Pakistan
For the first time in decades, three U.S. aircraft carriers are operating simultaneously in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command said on Friday.
The three carriers — the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H.W. Bush — are carrying more than 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, according to the Central Command.
A day earlier, the command announced that the Bush carrier strike group had entered its area of responsibility and was currently in the Indian Ocean. The Bush, a Nimitz-class carrier, left Naval Station Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia in late March.
The Lincoln is conducting missions in the Arabian Sea, primarily tasked with enhancing U.S. maritime blockade operations, while the Ford is positioned in the northern Red Sea, where the U.S. claims that it is maintaining maritime security.
The Bush is expected to relieve the Ford, and during the handover period, the U.S. military is expected to maintain a three-carrier deployment posture in the region.
Meanwhile, an Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that Iran has never halted production of defense equipment, and the ministry is fully committed to meeting the needs of the armed forces across all situations, including combat readiness and ceasefire conditions.
The developments come as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire faces uncertainty, with Washington continuing its naval blockade and signaling possible military action.
Pakistan, meanwhile, is pushing to revive stalled U.S.-Iran talks, with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi expected to visit Pakistan for talks with Islamabad's mediation team and Washington saying key negotiators would also travel to Pakistan, raising speculation that a second round of U.S.-Iran talks could resume.
3 U.S. carriers operate simultaneously in Middle East for first time in decades: U.S. Central Command
