Telephonic exchange: NSA Asim, Iranian counterpart discuss cooperation
ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor (NSA) Lt Gen Asim Malik and Iranian NSA Ali Akbar Ahmadian held a detailed telephone exchange on Monday.
The conversation touched on a range of shared concerns, with both sides expressing interest in strengthening economic engagement and jointly addressing regional security challenges.
Ahmadian stressed that Iran and Pakistan 'will not allow regional peace to be undermined by external players.'
Lt Gen Asim Malik added Iran's 'positive and stabilising role' in the region and reaffirmed Pakistan's readiness to collaborate more closely with Tehran on matters of mutual interest.
The phone call follows a similar exchange last week between the Iranian NSA and his Indian counterpart, suggesting a renewed diplomatic push by Tehran to enhance regional linkages.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Iran says it obtained sensitive Israeli nuclear documents
DUBAI: Iranian intelligence agencies have obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents, some related to the nuclear plans and facilities of Tehran's arch enemy, Iran's state media reported on Saturday. There was no immediate official comment from Israel and it was not clear whether the report was linked to a reported hacking of an Israeli nuclear research centre last year that Tehran is choosing to divulge now amid heightened tensions over its nuclear programme. 'Although the operation to obtain the documents was carried out some time ago, the sheer volume of materials and the need to transport them safely into Iran necessitated a news blackout to ensure they reached the designated protected locations,' state-run PressTV reported, quoting unnamed sources. '(Sources familiar with the matter) also noted that the abundance of documents is so vast that reviewing them, along with viewing images and videos, has consumed a significant amount of time,' PressTV added, without giving details of the documents. Iran has right to 'legitimate defence', FM Araghchi says after Israel strikes In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli agents had seized a huge 'archive' of Iranian documents showing Tehran had done more nuclear work than previously known. U.S President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with bombing if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear programme. But Trump in April reportedly blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites in favour of negotiating a deal with Tehran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was '100%' against the country's interests, rejecting a central U.S. demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Iran says US travel ban ‘violates international law'
Listen to article Iran denounced on Saturday a renewed United States travel ban targeting Iranian nationals and citizens of 11 other countries, calling the measure a reflection of 'deep hostility' and a 'racist mentality' within American decision-making. The executive order, signed on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump, revives sweeping entry restrictions that will come into effect from Monday at 12.01am. EDT (0401 GMT). The restrictions apply to citizens of Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Read: US imposes new sanctions on Iran, targeting 10 individuals and 27 entities Trump said the ban was necessary to protect the United States from 'foreign terrorists,' citing national security concerns following a firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado last week. More than a dozen people were injured in the incident. Authorities later identified the suspect as an Egyptian man who had overstayed a US tourist visa. Iranian officials condemned the move as discriminatory, politically motivated and in violation of international law. 'The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals—merely due to their religion and nationality—not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates international law,' a senior official from Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement published on X, formerly Twitter. Read More: Iran's Khamenei rejects US nuclear deal proposal to halt uranium enrichment Alireza Hashemi-Raja, director general for Iranians abroad at the ministry, called the measure 'a clear sign of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers.' He warned that the ban could entail 'international responsibility' for the US, although he did not specify any potential legal action. The latest executive order closely resembles a travel ban implemented by Trump during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021. That policy faced criticism for disproportionately targeting Muslim-majority nations and was ultimately repealed by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Iran and the United States severed diplomatic ties following Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, and relations have remained strained ever since, especially over Tehran's nuclear programme, regional influence, and sanctions. Also read: Iran urges Europe not to back IAEA resolution on nuclear compliance Despite the lack of formal relations, the United States is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. According to Tehran's foreign ministry, there were about 1.5 million Iranians living in the US as of 2020. The Iranian foreign ministry said the ban deprives 'hundreds of millions of people of the right to travel based solely on their nationality or religion,' calling it discriminatory and harmful to global engagement. The statement also noted that the timing of the order—days after the Colorado rally attack—was misleading and risks fuelling xenophobia and Islamophobia in US policy. There was no immediate response from Washington to Tehran's remarks.
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Iran condemns Trump travel ban as 'deeply hostile' toward Muslims
Listen to article Iran on Saturday blasted US President Donald Trump'stravel ban on countries including the Islamic Republic, saying it showed "deep hostility" toward Iranians and Muslims. "The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals - merely due to their religion and nationality - not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates... international law," a senior foreign ministry official said in a ministry statement posted on the X social media platform. Trump's proclamation on Wednesday will bar citizens from 12 countries starting on Monday at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). The countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The ban, which Trump said was necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists", was reminiscent of a similar move he implemented during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, when he barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
