Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in Pakistan on a three-day visit to discuss regional and bilateral relations between the two countries amid escalating tension in the Middle East.
While the official agenda of President Raisi’s visit is to bolster economic cooperation between Islamabad and Tehran, some analysts suggest that this visit holds significance for defense cooperation between the two nations, particularly amidst the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
This perspective gained traction as President Raisi, upon his arrival in Islamabad, met with Pakistan’s Chief of Army, General Asim Muneer, in addition to engagements with political leadership. Al Jazeera News has highlighted this aspect of President Raisi’s visit, citing Mosharraf Zaidi, a partner at advisory services firm Tabadlab and former adviser to the Foreign Ministry, who stated that Raisi’s trip seeks to secure support from Islamabad and Rawalpindi (military leadership) as tensions with Israel escalate.
On April 14, a day after Iran’s strikes on Israel, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for de-escalation and emphasizing the consequences of diplomatic breakdowns. The statement underscored the need for international efforts to prevent further hostilities in the region and urged all parties to exercise restraint.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and lacks direct communication channels with it.
Regarding the official agenda of the trip, Raisi arrived in Islamabad on Monday with a focus on enhancing economic, border, and energy ties between the two neighbors. The Iranian presidential office stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with the neighborhood policy, is interested in promoting relations with Pakistan. During this trip, various issues including economic and commercial matters, energy, and border concerns will be discussed with the government of Pakistan.”
In a preceding statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the intention to improve bilateral ties and indicated a wide-ranging agenda aimed at strengthening Pakistan-Iran relations and enhancing cooperation across diverse fields such as trade, connectivity, energy, and agriculture.
