Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi to Visit India Amid Rising Indo-Pak Tensions, Urges Peace and Dialogue

May 5, 2025: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit India on May 8, the Embassy of Iran in India confirmed on Monday via a post on X. His diplomatic tour will follow a stop in Islamabad, where he is set to hold high-level discussions with Pakistani officials.

According to Iranian state media outlet IRNA, Araghchi will participate in the Joint Economic Commission in New Delhi as part of his visit. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed the engagement during a press briefing in Tehran.

The visit comes at a tense time for the region, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. In the aftermath, Araghchi made a public call for peace on X, emphasizing that both India and Pakistan are “brotherly neighbors” and Iran’s regional priorities.

“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties,” Araghchi wrote. “Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time,” he added, quoting the Persian poet Saadi to underline a shared human connection.

India, in response to the Pahalgam attack, has taken a series of firm countermeasures against Pakistan. In a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23, India decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 until Pakistan unequivocally ceases support for cross-border terrorism. Additionally, India has ordered Pakistani diplomats to leave the country within a week and cancelled all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) privileges for Pakistani nationals.

Further escalating the response, India suspended all visa services for Pakistani citizens and imposed an immediate ban on the import and transit of goods originating from Pakistan, effectively freezing bilateral trade, as per a notification from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Araghchi’s visit is expected to focus on economic cooperation while also addressing regional stability, potentially opening diplomatic channels amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.