Rear Admiral Shamkhani in Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (L) with IRIN Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, on 28OCT15 at Islamabad, Pakistan.

According to PressTV:

Iran has praised the decision by the Pakistani government not to join Saudi Arabia’s deadly military aggression against its impoverished neighbor, Yemen.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani hailed the Pakistani government’s refusal to get militarily involved in Yemen during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan’s capital city on Thursday.

[…]

The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, appreciated Iran’s ‘active and constructive’ role in regional matters, especially in the campaign against terrorism.

COMMENTARY: The agenda for Shamkhani’s trip included border security, intelligence-sharing, security cooperation and exploring the prospects of bilateral cooperation after the nuclear-related sanctions are lifted.

Pakistani National Security Advisor Naseer Khan Janjua (L) with IRIN Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, on 29OCT15 at Islamabad, Pakistan.

Naseer Khan Janjua is a retired Pakistani Army Lieutenant General and former commander of XII Corps. He assumed the office of National Security Advisor the same day as his meeting with Shamkhani.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R) with IRIN Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, on 29OCT15 at Islamabad, Pakistan.

Large portrait on wall bears likeness of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (“Quaid-i-Azam”, “Baba-i-Qaum”), founder of Pakistan.

Shamkhani appears to have arrived 28OCT15 at Islamabad - Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB / OPRN) aboard IRIG Dassault Falcon 50, reg. EP-TFI (cn 120).

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran Government B737 takes FM Zarif to Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrives at Islamabad - Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB / OPRN) on 13AUG15 at approximately 06:30 hrs local time.

Zarif's aircraft is Islamic Republic of Iran Government Boeing 737-286/Adv, reg. EP-AGA (cn 21317/483). For this current trip, EP-AGA has flown the foreign minister to Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan, with the next scheduled scheduled for India. Two weeks ago, this aircraft flew Zarif to Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq. [see HERE]

This aircraft recently underwent D-check by Iran Air at Tehran - Mehrabad International (THR / OIII). [For aircraft history, click HERE].

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrives on 13AUG15 at Islamabad - Benazir Bhutto International Airport

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shakes hands with Artesh lieutenant colonel, likely a military attache to Pakistan.

EP-AGA seen arriving on 12AUG15 at Damascus International Airport (DAM / OSDI). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is welcomed by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 12AUG15

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, on 12AUG15 in Beirut

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, on 12AUG15 in Beirut.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, on 12AUG15 in Beirut.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, on 12AUG15 in Beirut

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency, Hezbollah Media Department and Reuters

Iran's Foreign Minister at Pakistan Army General Headquarters

Above: Iran Foreign Minister Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at Pakistan Army GHQ

According to Dunya News:

Foreign Minister of Iran, Javad Zarif, visited General Headquarters on Thursday and called on General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff.

Focus of the discussion remained on regional security including evolving situation in the Middle East, Pak-Iran border management and defence and security cooperation between both the countries, the ISPR reported.

COMMENTARY: No doubt, Foreign Ministyer Zarif has much to talk about with Pakistani military and political figures, given reports that Saudi Arabia is pressuring Pakistan to join its military intervention in Yemen, as well as Iran's loss of eight NAJA border-protection guards killed in clashes with Jaish al Adal at the Pakistani border within Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Zarif's schedule also included talks with Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, later in the day on 09APR15.

Pakistan's parliament on 10APR15 adopted a resolution on Yemen calling on all factions to resolve their differences peacefully and urging that Pakistan should stay neutral. [source: Reuters]

Foreign Minister Zarif shakes hands with Pakistan Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif

Foreign Minister Zarif lays a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada

Foreign Minister Zarif shakes hands with a Pakistan Army company havildar major (NATO equivalent: OR-8)

Honor Guard from Pakistan Army Unit X, Rawalpindi

Note: Pakistan Army shares in common with Iran Army the G3 battle rifle (seen above), with Iranian type built by DIO and Pakistani type built by POF.

Pakistan Army Band performing for FM Zarif's tour of General Headquarters (GHQ) at Rawalpindi

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Sharif in Tehran

A Visit Amid Increasingly Tense Relations between Iran and Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif arrived in Tehran on Sunday on a two-day visit to meet with senior Iranian leaders. Today he met with President Rouhani and Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, the de facto leader of the moderate and reformist bloc, and would later meet with Ayatollah Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader. 

A high-ranking delegation including adviser to the prime minister on national security affairs, finance and oil ministers, and Baluchistan chief minister have  accompanied the prime minister.

Pakistan is increasingly becoming close to Saudi Arabia, Iran’s chief rival in the region, a fact that is of major concern to Iran. Iranians suspect that its heralded project to build a gas pipeline to Pakistan was cancelled by the Pakistanis because of pressure from Saudi Arabia. 

Iran is also starting a major transportation project with India, Pakistan’s chief rival, with bilateral implications. The Indians will invest in the Iranian port of Chabahar transforming it into the main facility for handling the expected huge volume of iron ore and other minerals carried from Afghanistan through railway link to the port for transshipment to India and other Asian destinations. The Indians are one of the main investors in Afghanistan's burgeoning mining industry. The move would deprive Pakistan’s port of Gwadar, in near proximity to Chabahar, from becoming the gateway for Afghan mineral exports.

The increasingly tense relations between the two countries notwithstanding, Sharif will try to define a better working relations with Iran, albeit limited, to address security issues at their long border in Baluchistan region and increase the volume of trade between the two countries.

Photo credit: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (r) greeting Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Tehran, 11 May 2014 (Mona Hoobehfekr/ISNA) 

IRIN port of call Karachi, Pakistan

List of Iran Navy vessels recently docked at Karachi, Pakistan, led by IRIN Captain Abbas Ali Jahanbakhsh and expected to participate in joint naval exercise with the Pakistan Navy:

- IRINS Ghadir 953 (953) Ghadir class midget submarine (SSM)

- IRINS Falakhon (P226) Kaman class (Combattante II type) guided missile patrol boat (PGGF)

- IRINS Khanjar (P230) Kaman class (Combattante II type) guided missile patrol boat (PGGF)

- IRINS Hendijan (1401) Hendijan class offshore patrol vessel (PBO)

- IRINS Daylam (424) Delvar class logistic and support ship (AWT)

File photo: IRIN Ghadir class midget submarine (SSM)

File photo: IRIN Kaman class (Combattante II type) guided missile patrol boat (PGGF)

File photo, background: IRIN Hendijan class offshore patrol vessel (PBO)

File photo: IRINS Daylam (424) Delvar class logistic and support ship (AWT)

Photos: Hosein Zohrevand and Azin Haghighi at Fars News Agency, Press TV

Iran and Pakistan Navies joint exercise near Straight of Hormuz

Docked at Bandar Abbas: PNS Hashmat (S135) Hashmat class (Fr Agosta-70 type) diesel attack submarine (SSK)

According to Islamic Republic News Agency:

Naval forces of Iran and Pakistan began a joint military exercise in east of Hormuz Strait in Persian Gulf on Tuesday participated by the selected units of the Navy forces of both countries.

The Pakistani fleet comprises Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) RASADGAR a Pakistani built Small Tanker cum Utility Ship (STUS), PNS QUWWAT a Pakistani built Missile Boat and a French made submarine PNS/M HASHMAT.

The Pakistani flotilla docked at the provincial capital city of Bandar Abbas in Hormuzgan Province on April 5...

Docked at Bandar Abbas: PNS Quwwat (P 1028) Jurrat class fast attack craft (missile)

Docked at Bandar Abbas: PNS Rasadgar (23)  small tanker cum utility ship (STUS)

Video, IRIB News: