ISLAMABAD – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni landed in Islamabad on Monday, kicking off an official visit that puts the spotlight on the Iran Pakistan trade target $10 billion goal both countries have been chasing for years. He came with a large team of senior officials, ready for talks with Pakistan’s top leadership.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi greeted him warmly at the airport. Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, stood alongside him. Minister of State Talal Chaudhry handed the visiting guest a bouquet, a small but warm gesture to start the trip.
“Welcome to Pakistan,” Naqvi said, smiling as he received his counterpart.
The Iranian team wasn’t small. It included the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province, a deputy interior minister, an urban development official, the head of Iran’s National Oil Company, and a representative from the agriculture ministry. Clearly, this trip wasn’t just about handshakes.
Talking to reporters after landing, Momeni said his main goal was simple: bring the two neighbours closer and grow cooperation in areas that matter most.
He pointed to an old but ambitious target. Both nations had agreed earlier to push bilateral trade up to $10 billion. Right now, though, trade sits at just $3 billion, far below what’s possible.
To hit that bigger number, Momeni explained, both countries need better infrastructure at the border. He gave a striking example: reaching the target would need close to 2,000 trucks crossing daily, or similar levels of trade activity. Sadly, only about 20 percent of that movement happens today.
He also hinted that regional issues, and the tense situation around them, would come up during his meetings in Pakistan.
Later that day, Momeni sat down with Naqvi in Islamabad. The two discussed trade, security, and other shared concerns. Momeni called Naqvi his “brother,” a term that reflects how close the two officials have grown over recent meetings.
“I have always appreciated the hospitality of the government and people of Pakistan,” Momeni said, praising the warmth he’s felt on his visits.
Naqvi responded with hope, saying he expects the visit to strengthen ties further. He also expressed optimism about regional developments, adding that he hopes Momeni brought “good news” this time around.
Momeni’s schedule doesn’t end there. He’s set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, before wrapping up his trip.
This visit comes at a sensitive moment. Iran and the United States remain locked in tension over the Strait of Hormuz, and a fragile ceasefire between the two sides looks shaky. Despite recent US strikes, Iran’s foreign ministry says talks through mediators are still trhappening.
Pakistan has already offered to help calm things down. Last week, officials said they’d encourage both nations to return to the negotiating table, building on a mediation deal Islamabad helped broker last month.
Momeni isn’t new to this kind of diplomacy. He’s played a role in past mediation efforts and has visited Iran to meet Naqvi before, showing a pattern of steady, ongoing dialogue between the two countries.
For now, all eyes are on whether this visit turns promises into real progress, especially on the ambitious trade goal both sides keep returning to.
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