WANA (May 17) – The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday that recent regional events prove the United States’ presence in the Middle East actively undermines regional stability.

 

“Some governments in the region imagined that the US presence would bring them security,” Ghalibaf said during the meeting at the parliament building in Baharestan. “But recent events showed that this presence is not only not security-generating, but it also paves the way for insecurity.”

 

Bilateral Relations and Recent Conflict

Ghalibaf expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government and its citizens for their solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran during the “recent major war.”

 

He noted that Iran’s leadership deeply values this support, adding that the Supreme Leader paid special attention to Pakistan in his initial address following the conflict.

 

The Speaker characterized current Tehran-Islamabad ties as strong but called for an accelerated expansion of bilateral ties.

 

“The cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, cultural, and security fields must increase and accelerate compared to the past,” Ghalibaf said, noting that parliamentary diplomacy is being actively prioritized to achieve this.

 

Regional Security Strategy

Turning to broader geopolitical developments, Ghalibaf leveled heavy criticism at Washington and Tel Aviv.

 

“The recent war imposed against Iran showed that the US and the Zionist regime bring nothing but evil and insecurity for all nations and countries in our region,” he stated.

 

As an alternative to foreign intervention, Ghalibaf proposed a localized security architecture. “The antidote to these conditions is for regional countries, through trust and cooperation among themselves, to pave the way for creating and developing economic relations as well as political and security cooperation.”

 

Pakistan Pledges Continued Solidarity

In response, Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi conveyed official greetings from Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Parliament Speaker, and Army Commander.

 

Naqvi emphasized the tightening bonds between the two neighboring nations. “The nations of the two countries were close to each other before, but now they have become closer,” Naqvi said. “I feel that the two nations truly love each other, and Pakistanis pray night and day for the success of the government and nation of Iran.”

 

The Pakistani minister also praised Ghalibaf’s diplomatic handling of recent crises. “In Islamabad, we witnessed that you stood steadfast on Iran’s national interests during the negotiations, while simultaneously making efforts to resolve the problems,” Naqvi added, expressing hope that Pakistan would successfully finalize the ongoing bilateral talks.

 

According to official reports, the high-level meeting was also attended by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Chairman of the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Ebrahim Azizi, and Abolfazl Amouei, the Special Assistant to the Parliament Speaker for International Affairs.

Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi on May 17, 2026. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi on May 17, 2026. Social media/ WANA News Agency