Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday arrived in Islamabad on the invitation of his Pakistcounterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani, amid strain in relations following recent strikes launched by the two countries.
Upon his arrival at the Nur Khan airbase, the Iranian Foreign Minister was received by Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary for Afghanistan and West Asia Rahim Hayat Qureshi, said a statement issued by the foreign office.
“During the visit, Foreign Minister Abdollahian will hold in-depth talks with Foreign Minister Jilani and call on Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar,” the statement said.
The visit comes after the two nations narrowly avoided an armed conflict after Iran unilaterally targeted alleged sites of militants inside the Pakistan border area of Punjgur. However, the situation was saved when Tehran restrained itself from retaliating after Islamabad launched retaliatory strikes in response to its action.
Earlier this month, Pakistan conducted “precision military strikes” against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province that killed nine people. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
