ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN â Pakistan on Sunday stepped up diplomatic engagement with Iran as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate amid fresh US military strikes and growing security concerns in Strait of Hormuz.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which both leaders discussed the deteriorating regional situation.
Published: 11:01 PM, Jul 11, 2026
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held talks in Muscat on Saturday regarding navigation on the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its safety and freedom in light of recent developments and their repercussions.
The two sides agreed to carry on with the talks at both the technical and political levels to reach agreements in accordance with international law.
The discussions were held by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, and Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Oman on Saturday for talks on the Strait of Hormuz, state media said.
The visit „will be focused on the Strait of Hormuz and shipping safety“ and is „a continuation of the consultations that we started with Oman over the past one or two months,“ Iran‘s official IRNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
(April 15, 2026)
He noted that the Iranian delegation faced direct security threats while heading for negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, stating, „We received direct threats while en route to Islamabad that our plane might be attacked,“ prompting heightened caution during and after the visit.
„On our way back, we did not fly to Tehran. It‘s a very long story, but we all believed that there was a significant chance that they would down our plane, that they would shoot down our plane, that they would fire a missile at our plane,“ Marandi said.
He explained that on the way back from the talks, the Iranian delegation „secretly got into a different plane, and that plane on the way to Tehran suddenly diverted and landed very swiftly in Mashhad. And then we all came to Tehran by train, by car, and by bus.
According to the report, Pakistani fighter jets escorted the Iranian delegation‘s aircraft to and from Islamabad because of fears that Israel could attempt to assassinate senior Iranian officials.
On the return journey, Iranian security services informed the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf that intelligence indicated Israel was preparing an attack and that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace from the western border near Iraq, the newspaper reported, citing Iranian officials.
Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Ghalibaf who accompanied the delegation, confirmed the account on social media.
The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Mashhad, and members of the delegation completed the journey to Tehran by land, travelling for approximately eight hours, the newspaper said.
In the spring, U.S. officials suspected that Israel intended to kill Iranâs top negotiators and sent a warning to Tehran to take precautions.
Fearful that an Israeli assassination effort would doom the negotiations, the United States, according to some of the officials, went so far as to ask other countries in the region to warn Iran about the possibility Israel could target the two officials.
U.S. officials acknowledged that during the intense phase of the war, Mr. Araghchi and Mr. Ghalibaf, as senior government officials, could have been legitimate targets for Israel, which was intent on toppling Iranâs hard-line government. But after the negotiations started in earnest in April, American officials believed that any attempt to kill the Iranian leaders would end the talks and reignite the fighting.
Oman‘s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi has said Muscat remains committed to ensuring toll-free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz following discussions with senior Iranian officials.
In a post on X, Albusaidi said there had been „constructive discussions on the recent Iran-US MOU, especially the Strait of Hormuz paragraph“. He added: „We affirmed commitment to international law and toll-free safe passage.“
The comments came after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf visited Oman for talks on bilateral cooperation and regional developments.
US President Donald Trump reposted Araghchiâs message.
Araghchi announced that significant progress had been made in efforts to finalize the memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington in Islamabad.
The Iranian foreign minister urged media outlets to avoid entering into speculation about the content of the understanding with the US before its official release.
Araghchi said all details will be shared with public in due course.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV on Friday that both sides were working toward signing an initial agreement declaring an end to the war „on all fronts, including Lebanon.“
Israel has been fighting the Iranian-allied militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon since early March.
Diplomatic channels have become increasingly active as governments seek to assess the situation and prevent further escalation. Alongside his conversation with COAS Munir, Araghchi also reached out to the foreign ministers of TĂŒrkiye, UK, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and France.
During discussions, he briefed counterparts on Tehranâs position regarding recent events and reiterated Iranâs stance on safeguarding its national interests.
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Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States and the Israeli regime against attempting fresh military action against Iran, saying past confrontations had failed to achieve their objectives and any future attempt would yield the same outcome.
14 May 2026 08:39 BST
The Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial ships if they coordinate with Iranâs naval forces, Iranâs Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday.
The minister is currently attending the Brics foreign ministersâ meeting in New Delhi.
Saudi Arabiaâs Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the latest regional developments with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts in separate calls, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call on Monday from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.
During the Princeâs call with Aragchi, the two ministers discussed the latest developments in the ongoing Pakistani-mediated diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States and exchanged views on the matter.
(Updated: 2026-05-05 00:19:32)
The cargo ship, operated by South Korea‘s Hyundai Merchant Marine(HMM), was anchored outside port limits of the United Arab Emirates‘ Umm al Quwain in the strait, carrying six South Korean and 18 foreign nationals at the time of the incident.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said earlier that the vessel is presumed to have been attacked.
A Foreign Ministry official said the ministryâs consular bureau was checking whether the vessel had been attacked.
(Update: 2026-05-04 13:13:59)
Beide Seiten vereinbarten, sich ĂŒber die besprochenen Themen, darunter die Passage der StraĂe von Hormus, weiterhin auszutauschen.
Wie verlautete, habe Iran um das Telefonat gebeten. Es war das dritte TelefongesprĂ€ch zwischen den AuĂenministern beider LĂ€nder seit dem Ausbruch des Kriegs im Nahen Osten.
(April 27, 2026)
Sources close to these diplomatic efforts told Al Jazeera that senior intelligence officials from several countries were present at the Muscat talks.
ISLAMABAD â Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in what officials described as a crucial round of regional diplomacy involving sensitive international dialogue.
The meeting, held at the Prime Ministerâs House, was attended by top national leadership, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Iranâs foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to head to Islamabad on Friday night to discuss the next steps in stalled peace negotiations with the U.S., a Pakistani official involved in the matter told MS NOW.
Araghchi and a small team are expected to talk with Pakistani mediators about a potential second round of negotiations with the U.S., said the official, who spoke anonymously due to sensitivities around the topic, according to MS NOW.
Iran‘s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has held phone conversations with Pakistan‘s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as well as army chief Asim Munir, amid heightened diplomatic activity around a possible ceasefire and renewed US-Iran engagement, according to Al Jazeera report.
Iran‘s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the discussions focused on regional developments and issues related to the ceasefire.
In a separate call, Araghchi also spoke with Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq‘s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
ISLAMABAD â Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Dar emphasized the need for dialogue to ensure peace and stability in the region and to resolve ongoing issues swiftly. Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact.
The spokesperson also said that the two discussed a planned telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Iranian president later in the day.
The reopening of the vital waterway was confirmed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who emphasized that maritime operations would safely resume under Iranian oversight.
„In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,“ Araghchi stated.
The Strait had been effectively blocked to vessels affiliated with adversaries and those cooperating with them, a strategic maneuver by Tehran aimed at maintaining security in the waterway during unrelenting US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28.
Iran has announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on social media that in light of the Lebanon ceasefire, all commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be fully allowed for the remaining duration of the truce.
Seyyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that during the intense negotiations that took place at the highest level over the past 47 years, Iran entered into negotiations with the United States in good faith to end the war. But just when Tehran and Washington were only a few steps away from reaching a memorandum, Iran faced Washington‘s greed, constantly changing goals, and threats of a blockade.
„In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S in good faith to end war,“ the top Iranian doplomat wrote, adding, „But when just inches away from „Islamabad MoU“, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.“
„Zero lessons earned,“ he stressed.