Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Iran this week to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before visiting Turkey to discuss regional security and economic cooperation and address a business forum, Pakistan's foreign office said on Thursday.
Visit Dates and Diplomatic Context
The July 3-5 visit comes as Pakistan has assumed a prominent diplomatic role in efforts to end months of conflict between Iran and the United States. Islamabad, working alongside Qatar, has hosted and facilitated contacts between the two sides that culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding last month, establishing a ceasefire and a framework for negotiations toward a permanent agreement.
Sharif's visit to Tehran will be his first since Khamenei was killed during joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and comes as Washington and Tehran continue negotiations under the Islamabad framework. The visit to Turkey follows an invitation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and will focus on strengthening bilateral trade and investment while also reviewing regional security developments.
Condolences and Mediation Role
“The prime minister will convey condolences on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters during a weekly briefing in Islamabad.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator throughout the US-Iran crisis, maintaining close ties with both Tehran and Washington while coordinating diplomatic efforts with Qatar and other regional partners. On Wednesday, media widely reported that Iran and the United States concluded a round of indirect talks with no sign they had made headway toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on issues that they said had been resolved when an interim agreement was announced two weeks ago.
Funeral Procession Details
The next meeting will take place after funeral processions for Khamenei that will begin on July 4 in Tehran and conclude on July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad, with additional ceremonies planned in Qom and Iraq in between these dates.
Pakistan hosted direct US-Iran talks in Islamabad in April, the first such high-level engagement between the two sides after weeks of conflict. Those talks did not produce a final settlement but helped establish a diplomatic channel and narrow differences over key issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and Iran's nuclear program.
Islamabad MoU and High-Level Committee
Pakistan continued shuttle diplomacy afterward, coordinating with Qatar and holding follow-up contacts with both sides. Those efforts culminated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed electronically by the United States and Iran on June 18, with PM Sharif also signing as mediator. The MoU set up an interim framework rather than a final peace deal and provided for a 60-day ceasefire, steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, the lifting of a US naval blockade, and follow-up negotiations on a broader settlement, including Iran's nuclear program, sanctions and regional security.
The Islamabad MoU then became the basis for the first High-Level Committee meeting in Burgenstock, Switzerland, where the United States and Iran held talks with Pakistan and Qatar as mediators and agreed on a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days. They also established a High-Level Committee to oversee the mediation process, and launched technical talks on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution. The parties also agreed to create a communication line to avoid incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and a Lebanon “de-confliction cell” facilitated by the mediators.
Turkey Visit and Business Forum
Following his Iran visit for Khamenei's funeral, Sharif will travel to Istanbul at Erdogan's invitation to discuss economic cooperation as well as regional peace and security. Foreign office spokesman Andrabi said Sharif will also address a business conference to showcase the country's trade and investment opportunities in sectors including energy, trade and privatization. Andrabi said the conference would bring together leading Turkish businessmen and investors alongside senior government officials and members of Turkey's business community.
