Pakistan interior minister in Iran for talks

Pakistan's interior minister is visiting Iran to discuss regional security, stability and other developments, the Pakistani foreign office said on Wednesday. Mohsin Naqvi, previously involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the US, is known to be close to the powerful head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported late on Tuesday that Naqvi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. "He is discussing bilateral relations, security, regional security and stability, and constructive engagement amongst the parties in the region and regional developments," Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad. The Iranian government's website said Naqvi conveyed to Pezeshkian "a message from the Pakistani prime minister and the chief of the army", without specifying its content. Tehran insists on retaining control of the Strait of Hormuz after the war and wants to charge fees for passage, repeatedly striking ships it accuses of attempting to circumvent its preferred route. The US has imposed a rival blockade on Iranian ports. Last week Iran said it had agreed a route with neighbouring Oman for ships transiting the strait and was finalising arrangements for jointly managing the strategic waterway. On Tuesday, the US military announced that it had fired on a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran's ports.