Islamabad/Tehran, May 16,2026: Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday for bilateral meetings with senior Iranian officials amid escalating regional tensions and renewed rhetoric between Iran and the United States, diplomatic sources said.
The visit comes at a critical time as Iran announced plans to unveil a new mechanism for managing maritime traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, said the proposed arrangement would regulate shipping along designated routes and provide specialised services to commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Iran.
He added that Tehran would charge fees for the services under the mechanism, which is expected to be formally introduced soon.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi warned that the United States would face mounting economic consequences from what he termed a “war of choice” against Iran.
In a statement posted on X, Araghchi said Americans would increasingly feel the economic burden of conflict, warning of rising debt costs and mortgage rates in the US economy.
“Put aside gas price hikes and the stock market bubble. Real pain begins when US debt and mortgage rates start to jump,” he said, adding that growing auto loan delinquencies in the US reflected broader economic strain.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also sharply criticised Western policies, invoking anti-colonial thinker Aimé Césaire to condemn what he described as Western hypocrisy and moral decline.
Quoting from Césaire’s seminal work Discourse on Colonialism, Baghaei argued that ongoing conflicts had exposed deep fractures within the Western alliance and intensified global instability.
Separately, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations accused Washington of attempting to create a “false image” of international support through a politically motivated UN resolution aimed at justifying further military actions in the region.
The mission warned that countries backing the US-led resolution could also bear responsibility for enabling future escalation.
Amid the heightened tensions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy and peaceful solutions in a message addressed to Pope Leo XIV.
According to Iranian state media, Pezeshkian appreciated the Pope’s stance regarding recent military actions against Iran and maintained that Tehran’s actions against the US and Israel were carried out within the framework of legitimate self-defence.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said Washington retained the capability to rapidly destroy Iran’s infrastructure if required, while acknowledging Tehran’s resilience during the conflict.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed the US could “knock everything out in two days,” including bridges and electricity infrastructure, but said he still preferred a non-violent resolution.
Regional tensions have remained high since US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israeli targets and US allies in the Gulf region.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took effect on April 8, although subsequent negotiations in Islamabad failed to secure a permanent settlement. Trump later announced an indefinite extension of the truce.
