Irans Larijani arrives in Islamabad to deepen ties | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani arrived here on Monday as part of a broader push by Tehran and Islamabad to consolidate political, security and economic cooperation amid shifting regional geopolitics.

“Today, I am travelling to Pakistan, our friendly and brotherly country in the region,” Larijani said in a post on X shortly before his arrival.

In a rare and notable acknowledgement, Larijani praised Pakistan’s support for Iran during the US-Israeli aggression earlier this year. “Iranians do not forget that during the 12-day war by the Zionist regime and the United States against Iran, the Pakistani nation stood by the Iranian nation,” he wrote.

The latest diplomatic outreach comes months after a dramatic escalation in the Middle East when Israel launched a surprise and unprovoked attack on Iran on June 13, assassinating several senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.

Days later, the United States joined the conflict, striking three Iranian nuclear sites, an episode Tehran labelled a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran responded on June 24 with coordinated retaliatory operations against both Israel and the United States, claiming it had forced an end to the “illegal assault”.

Throughout the crisis, Pakistan publicly called for restraint but strongly opposed attacks on Iranian territory, an approach that earned appreciation in Tehran, especially as regional alignments were being tested.

Larijani, considered one of Iran’s most experienced political figures and a key representative of the Supreme Leader at the SNSC, said Iran sees Pakistan and Iran as “two important and influential countries” vital to regional stability.

He stressed that today’s geopolitical environment required “tangible, coordinated, and comprehensive action among Muslim nations,” particularly in the security, defence, political and economic realms.

In October, Larijani met Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran, where both sides underscored their role in shaping regional dynamics.

In November, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also visited Islamabad for talks focused on parliamentary, security and economic cooperation.

In August, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian travelled to Pakistan, with both sides signing 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) across multiple sectors, including tourism, agriculture, legal cooperation, industry, science and technology, transit, cultural heritage and trade.

Iran and Pakistan, with bilateral trade already exceeding $3 billion, have pledged to push the volume to $10 billion through targeted planning and removal of trade barriers.

In a separate statement, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Muddasir Tipu called Larijani’s visit “a crucial step in reinforcing historical and deep-rooted ties.”

He outlined several promising developments currently under discussion, including rapid progress on finalising the Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA), operationalisation of a barter trade mechanism, expected soon.

Tipu noted that the ongoing flurry of exchanges reflects a shared intent to unlock the full trade and connectivity potential between the two neighbours.

Observers say Larijani’s visit is part of Iran’s diplomatic recalibration following the June conflict and a sign of Pakistan’s growing relevance in Tehran’s strategic vision, especially in the areas of border security, counterterrorism, energy cooperation and regional trade.

With both countries navigating complex regional realignments, including developments in Afghanistan, tensions in the Gulf and shifting great-power equations, Tehran and Islamabad appear keen to widen collaboration on multiple fronts.