Iran’s President Pezeshkian lands in Pakistan after US deal

Key Points:

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan for a state visit, his first overseas trip since US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, and was received by top Pakistani leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• During the visit, Pezeshkian will hold talks with Pakistani officials to review bilateral relations and explore cooperation in trade, energy, border security, people-to-people exchanges, and regional connectivity.
• The visit follows recent US-Iran talks mediated by Pakistan and Qatar in Switzerland, resulting in a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, including the US releasing $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds and temporarily easing sanctions on Iranian oil and petrochemical sales.
• Pezeshkian’s trip is seen as a gesture of gratitude for Pakistan’s role in brokering the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed in June by the US, Iran, and Pakistan, which launched the current diplomatic process.
• Pakistani officials view the visit as an opportunity to discuss ongoing diplomatic engagements and regional and international developments of mutual interest following the Islamabad MoU.