Iran resumed commercial flights from Tehran’s main international airport on Saturday for the first time since the conflict with the United States and Israel began about 2 months ago.
State television reported that flights departed from Imam Khomeini International Airport to Istanbul, Muscat, and Medina. Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 indicated that at least 3 flights to Istanbul departed on Saturday morning.
Iran had partially reopened its airspace earlier this month following a ceasefire with the United States, bringing an end to the hostilities between the 2 countries.
The development comes as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held 2 rounds of talks with Pakistan’s military and political leadership after arriving in Islamabad on Friday night. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the Iranian delegation would continue discussions with senior officials, while US envoys were expected to arrive in Islamabad on Saturday.
The White House confirmed that Donald Trump would send Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan in a renewed effort to revive ceasefire negotiations with Tehran. However, soon after Araghchi’s arrival, Iran indicated that any engagement with US representatives would remain indirect, with Pakistani officials acting as intermediaries.
The diplomatic push follows an indefinite ceasefire that has paused most fighting but continues to disrupt global markets, particularly energy shipments affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan has been working to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table after Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire earlier this week, responding to Islamabad’s request for more time for diplomacy.
Iranian delegation in Pakistan
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday, as Pakistan continued efforts to facilitate engagement between the United States and Iran.
A short video shared by the Iranian embassy showed that the meeting was also attended by foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei and Iran’s ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam. The embassy confirmed the meeting in a brief caption but did not disclose details of the discussions.
Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday for talks with Pakistan’s leadership and was received by senior officials, including Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar, and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
There is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit. Baghaei said in a social media post that no meeting is planned between Iran and the United States, and that Iran’s position would instead be conveyed to Pakistan.
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