Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, where the two sides discussed regional and bilateral security, border management, and ways to expand cooperation, according to Mehr News. Momeni also held talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi. After the meetings, Momeni said Iran and Pakistan had agreed to open a new border crossing to facilitate trade and set an initial goal of increasing bilateral trade from about $3 billion to $10 billion, requiring significant investment in border infrastructure.

According to a report by News18 cited by ABP News, Momeni delivered a confidential message from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Munir during a nearly 50-minute one-on-one meeting at Pakistan's General Headquarters. The report, quoting senior Pakistani security sources, said the message outlined a new mediation framework aimed at easing tensions across West Asia. The same sources claimed that Munir is expected to discuss the message with the United States in the coming days and may also visit Saudi Arabia as part of wider diplomatic efforts. Iran's political and military leadership acknowledged Pakistan's "indispensable role" in reducing regional tensions, the report added.

The visit comes amid ongoing hostilities between Iran and the United States. The US Central Command said it had completed the 11th consecutive evening of strikes against Iran, targeting military operations centres and infrastructure, while Iran's army claimed drone strikes on US bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, as reported by Mint and IRNA. Pakistan previously mediated a ceasefire between the two sides, resulting in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a 14-point interim peace deal. According to Al Jazeera, cited by Interfax, mediators are now awaiting Tehran's response to a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire. Iran's foreign ministry confirmed that diplomatic channels through mediators remain in use despite ongoing combat.

Momeni is expected to travel to New Delhi after his Pakistan visit to attend a meeting of BRICS member countries on disaster management, according to Iran's state media reported by Mint, though there has been no official confirmation from India. The BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group meeting is scheduled for 22-23 July, followed by a ministerial meeting on 24 July. The next known step in the US-Iran mediation is the awaited response from Tehran to the ceasefire proposal, with mediators also waiting for a US reply.