"Our neighbors are our priority," says Iran's foreign minister as he heads on overseas trip
By
Sana Noor Haq
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivers a speech in Geneva, Switzerland,
Valentin Flauraud/AFP
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “our neighbors are our priority,” as he embarks on a trip to Pakistan, Oman and Russia amid a push for a long-lasting peace deal between Tehran and Washington.
Araghchi will “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments,” he
posted on X on Friday.
Iranian state media provided some further details about the trip, saying Araghchi will present Iran’s “considerations regarding ending the imposed war” during his visit to Pakistan. In Oman, discussions will “focus on regional issues and the war, while in Russia, talks will cover bilateral, regional and international developments,” semi-official outlet Tasnim news agency said.
CNN has reported that US President Donald Trump is sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to
participate in talks with Araghchi this weekend, citing two administration officials.
Iran has not yet commented on the latest news about potential US involvement.
Earlier on Friday, a US source and Iranian state media
reported that a delegation from Tehran was expected to hold talks with Pakistani mediators – but not with US representatives.
Mediators in Islamabad have acted as a go-between for Tehran and Washington after the US-Israeli assault on Iran and retaliatory Iranian strikes triggered regional violence. However, the warring parties have so far failed to start a second round of talks in Islamabad
this week, laying bare key sticking points to a definitive resolution to the fighting.
CNN’s Nic Robertson, Sophia Saifi and Billy Stockwell contributed
www.defensa.com
