Iran President heads to Pakistan as US nuclear talks advance
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for talks with leaders who have been mediating negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at securing a permanent end to the conflict in the Middle East.
The visit to Islamabad comes as technical teams continue to work on the details of a proposed agreement, following high-level negotiations in Switzerland on Monday led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
Vance said the talks had secured an agreement allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit Iranian nuclear sites. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday that no inspections had yet been scheduled at the nuclear facilities bombed by the United States.
The UN nuclear watchdog has maintained a presence in Iran since Israel's 12-day war with the country in 2025, but has not been granted access to the bombed uranium enrichment sites targeted by the US during the conflict.
Security was heightened in Islamabad ahead of Pezeshkian's meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit marks his first trip abroad since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.
Pezeshkian and Sharif are expected to hold a joint press conference following their talks.
The Switzerland negotiations marked the beginning of a 60-day diplomatic process aimed at reaching a lasting agreement to end the war. During the talks, Iran and the United States agreed to establish a "de-confliction cell" to address hostilities in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. US negotiators also discussed mechanisms to keep the Strait of Hormuz — a vital global oil shipping route that Iran had effectively closed during the conflict — open to international traffic.
Ahead of his meetings in Pakistan, Pezeshkian stressed that progress would depend on full compliance with the commitments already agreed.
"The effectiveness of the talks depends on full commitment to the agreed obligations and their precise implementation," he wrote on X.
"Progress on this path will be measured by practical adherence to accepted responsibilities. Statements outside the agreed text do not help advance the negotiations."
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that the ongoing technical discussions in Switzerland had led to the formation of several specialised negotiating groups focusing on sanctions relief, nuclear issues, post-war reconstruction and monitoring.
The report quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who is leading Iran's technical delegation, as saying that separate contact mechanisms had also been established to oversee shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However, it remains uncertain whether the proposed de-confliction cell will be sufficient to end hostilities. Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and insists it must retain freedom to target Hezbollah fighters launching attacks into northern Israel.
Pakistan and Qatar, which are mediating the negotiations, said the de-confliction mechanism would include the Lebanese government and would "ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, cast doubt on the arrangement, saying on Monday that Israeli forces would retain "full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat" to the country and its northern communities.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the US-Iran agreement. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to keep Israeli troops in southern Lebanon until all threats are eliminated, while Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to a full withdrawal.
US President Donald Trump later said he would "take a look at it" when asked about Netanyahu's remarks, adding that he would not elaborate on possible US action but insisted the situation would "get solved".
"I'm a problem solver. I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi," Trump said, using Netanyahu's nickname.
For now, the ceasefire brokered on Saturday appears to be holding, with no fresh Israeli or Hezbollah strikes reported overnight.
Lebanese and Israeli officials are scheduled to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Tuesday, where discussions are expected to focus on a roadmap for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.