Iran, Pakistan presidents hold phone talks; Pezeshkian urges stronger regional cooperation

TEHRAN - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held phone talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday night to discuss bilateral ties, regional developments, and the implications of U.S. and Israeli military actions for regional and global security.

Pakistan carries out airstrikes inside Afghanistan with no letup in border fighting

Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, struck more military installations deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, after Pakistan said it was in “open war” with its eastern neighbor, the Associated Press reported. 

Iran urges Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve tensions through dialogue

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to show restraint and hold talks as the two countries have traded fire.

Deadly air raids fuel rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul

A senior Pakistani official claimed military air raids along the Afghan border killed at least 70 fighters, though Kabul denied these figures amid escalating regional tensions, Al Jazeera reported Monday.

Afghanistan promises ‘appropriate response’ after deadly Pakistani strikes

Pakistan’s military early on Sunday carried out air raids in Afghanistan, targeting what it called “camps and hideouts” belonging to armed groups behind a spate of recent attacks, including a deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad, Al Jazeera reported. 

Iran’s agriculture minister visits Pakistan to boost bilateral co-op

TEHRAN – Iran’s agriculture minister arrived in Islamabad on Monday at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation, Iranian media reported.

COMSTECH meeting: Iran named ‘top vaccine producer in Islamic countries’

TEHRAN – Iran has been named as one of the top three vaccine manufacturers in the Islamic world by the Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH).

Thousands mourn as victims of ISIS-claimed mosque bombing are buried in Islamabad

Thousands of mourners gathered in Islamabad on Saturday to bury at least 32 victims of a suicide bombing at the Khadija Tul Kubra Shia mosque, Al Jazeera reported.

Explosion during Friday prayers in Islamabad kills over 30

An explosion took place during Friday prayers in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, resulting in 31 deaths and more than 169 injuries, according to the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad. 

Tehran thanks Pakistan for voting against anti-Iran resolution at UN

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has, in a phone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar, expressed his gratitude to Pakistan for voting against an anti-Iran resolution at an emergency meeting of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Riots were part of anti-Iran moves by US and Israel, Pezeshkian tells Pakistan PM

TEHRAN - Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, says the recent riots in the country were the continuation of futile efforts by the U.S. and Israeli regime during the 12-day war against Iran back in June 2025.

Araghchi talks with counterparts on recent unrest in Iran 

TEHRAN- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Turkmenistan, France, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, briefing them on recent developments in Iran, condemning foreign interference, and emphasizing Iran’s commitment to sovereignty, dialogue, and regional stability.

Iran, Pakistan hold talks on Israel’s plan to break up Somalia

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held phone talks with his Pakistan counterparts, discussing issues of mutual concerns including a plan by Israel to divide up Somalia. 

Afghans coming from Iran have ‘better education, food security’ than those returning from Pakistan

TEHRAN - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has said those Afghan refugees returning from Iran often have more education, better food security, and housing than those returning from Pakistan.

Chabahar airport to resume intl. flights in mid-January

TEHRAN - International flights from Chabahar Airport in southeastern Iran will resume in January, 2026 with services to Muscat, Karachi and Sharjah, the head of the Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone said on Monday.

Tehran to host Nowruz summit with ministers, ambassadors from 18 countries

TEHRAN – Iran is set to host an international Nowruz summit with ministers from 18 countries in Tehran from March 27 to 29, 2026, a senior official from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said on Sunday.

Pakistan president voices solidarity with Iran from the air

TEHRAN – Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari sent a “message of solidarity” with Tehran while flying through the Iranian airspace en route to Iraq, according to reports by Iranian and Pakistani media. 

Imran Khan and wife handed 17-year sentences over ‘undervalued gifts’

A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, AFP reported Saturday, citing officials and Khan’s party.

Mistaken identity: Innocent Pakistani national endures ordeal after Bondi Beach attack

TEHRAN – The violent attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, which tragically claimed 16 lives, has been compounded by a dangerous wave of online misinformation, placing an innocent Pakistani-origin resident in fear for his life.

Afghanistan’s neighbors gather in Tehran to coordinate support for the war-torn country

Araghchi tells participants ‘external’ solutions cannot ensure stability

TEHRAN – Representatives of Afghanistan’s neighbors — Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — and Russia met in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the current and future situation of the war-stricken country, where security and safety have improved since the Taliban first returned to power in 2021, but poverty and hunger have increased and the question of international recognition remains unresolved.

Nowruz-observing countries meet in New Delhi on safeguarding shared heritage

TEHRAN – A number of cultural officials from countries where Nowruz is observed met in New Delhi on the sidelines of a UNESCO meeting to discuss coordination among member states of the UNESCO-registered festival.

‘Militant’ ambush kills six Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least six Pakistani soldiers were killed in “militant attacks” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a northwestern province bordering Afghanistan, Anadolu reported Tuesday, citing local police.

Iran’s Border Guard chief in Pakistan for talks on border security

TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s Border Guard Command Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks on boosting border cooperation and maritime security issues and to participate in an international drill as an observer.