New Delhi/Islamabad (EFE) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is set to embark on a diplomatic mission to Islamabad and New Delhi this week, as the conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir intensifies, triggering fears of further escalation.
Araqchi will begin his visit in Pakistan on Tuesday, where Iranian officials say talks will cover bilateral relations and the latest regional and international developments.
He is then expected to travel to India, though the specific dates and agenda of that leg remain undisclosed.
The Iranian government has offered to mediate between India and Pakistan in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Indian-istered Kashmir that left 26 dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack.
While Pakistan has appealed to international actors and the UN to intervene diplomatically, India has dismissed the idea of third-party mediation, maintaining it has broad global for its anti-terror operations.
In remarks earlier this week, Araqchi referred to both nations as “brotherly neighbors” and reiterated Tehran’s readiness to facilitate dialogue during what he called a “difficult time.”
The diplomatic overture comes as violence continues to erupt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Exchanges of fire were reported on Sunday night for the 10th consecutive day in areas including Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajauri, and Mendhar, according to Indian military sources.
The Indian Army responded “promptly and proportionally,” they said, although no casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, tensions have spilled beyond Kashmir.
Indian forces recently detained a Pakistani National Guard member along the international border in Rajasthan, days after an Indian Border Security Force officer was apprehended by Pakistani Rangers after inadvertently crossing into Pakistan’s Punjab region.
Following the Kashmir bombing, India has taken a series of punitive steps against Pakistan, including suspending a critical water-sharing treaty, banning bilateral trade, halting visa issuance, and expelling Pakistani diplomats.
Islamabad has condemned these moves and warned that any military “adventure” by India will be met with retaliation.
Kashmir has remained a flashpoint since India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947. The territory remains one of the most militarized zones on earth and has battled armed insurgency against Indian rule since the early 1990s.
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