The diplomatic action comes after escalation in the Middle East when Israel launched a surprise and unprovoked attack on Iran.
ISLAMABAD:
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani arrived here on Monday as part of a broader initiative by Tehran and Islamabad to consolidate political, security and economic cooperation amid a changing regional geopolitical context.
“Today I am traveling to Pakistan, our friendly and brotherly country in the region,” Larijani said in a message on X shortly before his arrival.
In a rare and remarkable acknowledgment, 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 waged by the Zionist regime and the United States against Iran, the Pakistani nation stood with the Iranian nation,” he wrote.
The latest diplomatic move 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 top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
Days later, the United States joined the conflict by striking three Iranian nuclear sites, an episode that Tehran called a serious violation of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran responded on June 24 with coordinated retaliatory operations against Israel and the United States, saying it had forced an end to the “unlawful assault.”
Throughout the crisis, Pakistan publicly called for restraint but strongly opposed attacks on Iranian territory, an approach that was appreciated in Tehran, especially as regional alignments were tested.
Larijani, considered one of Iran’s most experienced political figures and a key representative of the Supreme Leader at the SNSC, said Iran views Pakistan and Iran as “two important and influential countries” vital to regional stability.
He stressed that the current geopolitical environment required “tangible, coordinated and comprehensive action among Muslim nations”, particularly in the areas of security, defense, politics and economics.
In October, Larijani met Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran, where both sides highlighted their roles 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 visited Pakistan, and the two sides signed 12 memoranda of understanding in several sectors, including tourism, agriculture, legal cooperation, industry, science and technology, mass transportation, cultural heritage and trade.
Iran and Pakistan, whose bilateral trade already exceeds $3 billion, have pledged to increase this 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 strengthening historic and deep-rooted ties.”
He highlighted several promising developments currently under discussion, including the rapid progress in finalizing the Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the implementation of a barter mechanism, expected soon.
Tipu noted that the current whirlwind of trade reflects a common intention to unlock the full potential of trade and connectivity between the two neighbors.
Observers say Larijani’s visit is part of Iran’s diplomatic recalibration after the June conflict and is a sign of Pakistan’s growing relevance in Tehran’s strategic vision, particularly in the areas of border security, counter-terrorism, energy cooperation and regional trade.
As both countries face complex regional realignments, including developments in Afghanistan, tensions in the Gulf and changes in great power equations, Tehran and Islamabad appear keen to expand their collaboration on multiple fronts.
