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Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Iran's Pezeshkian to visit Pakistan on Aug 2
President of Iran Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian receives Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at Sa'dabad Palace in Tehran. Photo: APP/ File Listen to article Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian is set to visit Pakistan on August 2 (Saturday) for a two-day official trip at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday. The visit was confirmed by President Pezeshkian's political adviser, Mehdi Sanai, in a post on X. 'Dr Pezeshkian will travel to Pakistan on Saturday evening, August 2, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,' he stated. According to Sanai, President Pezeshkian will hold official meetings with Pakistani leadership and engage in discussions with prominent cultural and business figures during his stay in Islamabad. The Iranian official noted that the visit aims to strengthen the multidimensional relationship between the two neighbours, which spans political, economic, religious, and cultural spheres. Enhancing provincial and border cooperation and boosting bilateral trade—currently valued at $3 billion—are among the key objectives of the trip. #دکتر_پزشکیان عصر شنبه ۱۱مرداد به دعوت آقای #شهباز_شریف به پاکستان می‌رود.دیدارهای رسمی و گفتگو بانخبگان فرهنگی و تجاری در برنامه است. روابط دوکشور دارای ابعاد سیاسی،اقتصادی،دینی وفرهنگی است و توسعه همکاریهای استانی و مرزی و ارتقای مبادلات از ۳ میلیارد دلار کنونی ازاهداف سفراست. — Mehdi Sanaei (@Mehdi_Sanaei_) July 30, 2025 This will mark President Pezeshkian's first visit to Pakistan and the second by an Iranian president in the past two years. His predecessor, the late President Ebrahim Raisi, visited Pakistan in April 2024, just weeks before his tragic death in a helicopter crash. Pakistan and Iran share longstanding ties rooted in geography, religion, and regional cooperation. Last month, Islamabad voiced strong support for Tehran during its brief but intense conflict with Israel, in which both countries exchanged missile barrages over nearly two weeks. During a phone call following the crisis, President Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to PM Shehbaz for Pakistan's "consistent and principled" support. Pakistan had reiterated its backing for Iran at various international forums, including the United Nations Security Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Also Read: Pakistan rejects India's 'Operation Sindoor' claims as baseless, provocative In May, shortly before the Iran-Israel escalation, PM Shehbaz paid a two-day visit to Tehran, where he referred to Iran as his 'second home' and thanked the Iranian leadership for its support during Pakistan's tensions with India. During that trip, the premier also reaffirmed Pakistan's support for Iran's peaceful nuclear programme, stating: 'We stand with our Iranian brothers and reaffirm our support for Iran's peaceful nuclear programme.' The two leaders also held a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan earlier this year.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Iran's supreme leader says nuclear program, enrichment an excuse to confront the country
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that nuclear program and enrichment are an excuse to confront the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing state news agency IRNA. Developing...
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
At least 9 killed during 'terrorist' attack in southeast Iran
At least nine people were killed in an armed attack by the Jaish Al Adl Baloch group on a courthouse in Iran's restive Sistan-Balochestan province on Saturday, including three of the assailants, state media reported. Another 22 were injured, according to the report. Jaish Al Adl confirmed the deaths of its three members in the clashes with security forces in Zahedan, the capital of the far southeastern province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sistan-Balochestanis home to Iran's Sunni Muslim Baluch minority, who have long complained of economic marginalisation and political exclusion. A toddler and a 60-year-old woman were among those killed, as well as three soldiers and law enforcement personnel assigned to the courthouse, the head of the province's judiciary told IRNA. He did not identify the sixth dead person. He said the attackers wore explosive vests and carried grenades. It was not clear if they had detonated them. Jaish al-Adl, which claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Telegram account, said it had killed at least 30 members of the judiciary and security forces. It said it targeted judges and court personnel, whom it accused of issuing death sentences and house demolition orders to Baloch citizens. "We warn all judges and employees of the judiciary that Balochestan will no longer be a safe place for them and death will follow them like terrifying shadows until retribution," the group said in its statement. It blamed security forces for the deaths of civilians, saying they had fired indiscriminately. The Baloch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting eyewitnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers. Sistan-Balochestanis frequently hit by clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. Tehran accuses some of them of ties to foreign powers and involvement in cross-border smuggling and insurgency. Reuters
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Nine killed as gunmen storm Iran courthouse
Listen to article At least nine people were killed in an armed attack by the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group on a courthouse in Iran's restive Sistan-Baluchestan province on Saturday, including three of the assailants, state media reported. Another 22 were injured, according to the report. Jaish al-Adl confirmed the deaths of its three members in the clashes with security forces in Zahedan, the capital of the far southeastern province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sistan-Baluchestan is home to Iran's Baluch minority, who have long complained of economic marginalization and political exclusion. A toddler and a 60-year-old woman were among those killed, as well as three soldiers and law enforcement personnel assigned to the courthouse, the head of the province's judiciary told IRNA. He did not identify the sixth dead person. He said the attackers wore explosive vests and carried grenades. It was not clear if they had detonated them. Jaish al-Adl, which claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Telegram account, said it had killed at least 30 members of the judiciary and security forces. It said it targeted judges and court personnel, whom it accused of issuing death sentences and house demolition orders to Baluch citizens. "We warn all judges and employees of the judiciary that Baluchestan will no longer be a safe place for them and death will follow them like terrifying shadows until retribution," the group said in its statement. It blamed security forces for the deaths of civilians, saying they had fired indiscriminately. The Baluch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting eyewitnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers.
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Iran holds ‘frank' nuclear talks with European powers
Meeting in Istanbul the first since Zionists attack on Iran ISTANBUL: Iranian diplomats said they held 'frank and detailed' nuclear talks on Friday with counterparts from Germany, Britain and France, who have threatened to trigger sanctions if Tehran fails to agree a deal on uranium enrichment and cooperation with UN inspectors. The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Zionists launched an attack on Iran last month targeting key nuclear and military sites, sparking a 12-day war and leading Tehran to pull away from working with the UN watchdog. The European diplomats were seen leaving the Iranian consulate shortly before 1100 GMT after spending several hours inside. Zionist offensive - which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others and in which residential areas and military sites were struck - also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April. Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger a so-called 'snapback mechanism' under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal that would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August. The sanctions trigger expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks alongside senior Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, wrote on X that he had used the meeting to criticize the European stance on the 12-day conflict with Zionists. He said the snapback mechanism had also been discussed, adding: 'It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.' Takht-Ravanchi told state news agency IRNA the Iranian side had demanded 'punitive sanctions' be lifted 'as soon as possible'. Before the talks, a European source said the three countries were preparing to trigger the mechanism 'in the absence of a negotiated solution'. The source urged Iran to make 'clear gestures' on uranium enrichment and resuming cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Gharibabadi warned earlier in the week that triggering sanctions - which would deepen Iran's international isolation and place further pressure on its already strained economy - would be 'completely illegal'. He accused European powers of 'halting their commitments' under the 2015 deal, which the United States unilaterally withdrew from in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term. 'We have warned them of the risks, but we are still seeking common ground to manage the situation,' said Gharibabadi. Iranian diplomats have previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if sanctions were reimposed. Zionist Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European powers to trigger the mechanism. Zionist June 13 attack on Iran came two days before Tehran and Washington were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations. On June 22, the US joined Zionist offensive by striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. Before the war, the US and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment - with Tehran describing it as a 'non-negotiable' right, while Washington called it a 'red line'. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity - far above the 3.67 percent cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade levels. Tehran has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not the right to enrich uranium. A year after the US withdrew from the nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its commitments, which had placed restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Zionist entity and Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has repeatedly denied. Iran insists it will not abandon its nuclear program, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describing the position as 'unshakable'. Though he claimed enrichment had come to a halt because of 'serious and severe' damage to nuclear sites caused by US and Zionist airstrikes, the full extent of the damage sustained in the US bombing remains unclear. Trump claimed at the time the sites had been 'completely destroyed', but US media reports based on Pentagon assessments cast doubt on the scale of destruction. Since the 12-day war, Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the attacks. Inspectors have since left the country but a technical team is expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said future cooperation would take a 'new form'. Zionist entity has warned it may resume strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons capability. Iran has pledged a 'harsh response' to any future attacks. — AFP
