Pakistan delivers special message to Iran’s supreme leader in mediation effort

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran over the weekend carrying a “special letter” for Iran’s supreme leader, part of a diplomatic push to end the 100-day US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Naqvi reached the capital Tehran on Saturday evening (local time) and met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. On social media, Naqvi said they discussed “the latest regional developments and issues related to internal security.” Iranian media earlier reported that the Pakistani official was carrying letters from the prime minister and the army chief of staff to Iran’s supreme leader.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf. On June 21, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced its forces had shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that were “threatening international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Earlier, on June 19, CENTCOM said it had intercepted seven ballistic missiles targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, just hours after downing four Iranian drones launched toward the strait — a vital waterway through which about 20% of globally traded crude oil flows. The US military later said it struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar stations at Garuk and Qeshm Island “to defend against further maritime attacks.”

Those strikes drew outrage from Gulf states already suffering the conflict’s fallout, which they had sought to prevent. Bahrain condemned them as “blatant aggression,” despite hosting the US Fifth Fleet. Kuwait called the strikes “a dangerous escalation.” Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar also joined the criticism.

Talks ‘deadlocked’

Despite tit-for-tat attacks and sporadic fighting, negotiations for a war-ending deal continue but have yet to yield a compromise.

US President Donald Trump has swung between threatening to resume military operations and expressing optimism about a diplomatic breakthrough. On June 18, he said a deal could be finalized over the weekend.

Iranian officials are more cautious. “The talks are deadlocked, and Trump must break this deadlock,” said Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told CNN on June 21. He also called for the release of about $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

Unfreezing those assets is a key sticking point. On June 18, media reported that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was considering using the funds to help rebuild Gulf areas damaged by Iranian attacks. A US official said: “The Treasury Department will use every tool available to allow Iranian assets to be transferred to Gulf allies for rebuilding and repairing any future damage caused by Iran.”

Other sticking points include ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon; exempting crude oil exports from sanctions; lifting the US maritime blockade; and securing control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel, US targets in the region, and neighboring Gulf states.

Iran’s declared closure of the strait and threats to strike vessels without permission have pushed oil and gas prices to multi-year highs, threatening global supply.

Armed clashes largely subsided after a temporary Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8. Direct talks in Islamabad collapsed on April 12, and since then the two sides have exchanged a series of proposals through Pakistan to end the war. However, subsequent flare-ups have raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict.