ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - After donning an Islamic headscarf and full-body cloak, Rudaw’s Dilnya Rahman was granted entry to a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, where a Friday sermon was underway. Worshippers expressed strong support for Iran.
At one of the mosque’s entrances, an Israeli flag was laid on the ground for worshippers to step on as they entered. A US flag was similarly placed near the main gate.
Inside, portraits and paintings of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as well as those of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, were visible throughout the mosque.
A donation box for cash contributions was also placed near the main entrance.
“Not only the Shiite community in Pakistan, but to a large extent the entire population stands with Iran,” said Azhar Ali, a physics professor at a university in Islamabad who has visited Shiite shrines in Iran multiple times.
He added that supporters back Iran’s demand for the United States to take “confidence-building” steps, such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Although comprehensive data on the number of Shiite mosques in Pakistan is limited, Rudaw estimates there are around 25 across the country.
Pakistan recently hosted the first round of talks between Iran and the United States following a war that lasted approximately six weeks. While Tehran has yet to confirm participation in the next round, an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are also reportedly heading to the Pakistani capital.
One of the key sticking points in the talks is the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which more than one-fifth of global energy supplies pass. On April 13, the US imposed a naval blockade on the strait, diverting at least 34 vessels departing Iranian ports, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In response, Iran maintained its own restrictions on the waterway.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible,” said Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday, linking Iran’s participation in further talks to the lifting of the US blockade.
Another worshipper, Omar, who converted to Shiism seven years ago, voiced strong support for Iran and its regional allies.
“I support Iran, [Lebanese] Hezbollah, Ansarallah [the Houthis in Yemen], Hamas, [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad, and the entire Axis of Resistance,” he said.
Unlike the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, Iran has heavily relied on its allied armed groups - often referred to as the “Axis of Resistance” - to counter the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign that began on February 28.
“I support them,” Omar added. “America has lost, and it seeks ceasefire after ceasefire.”
Pakistan is home to approximately 21.5 million Shiites, accounting for about 12.5 percent of the country’s population, according to World Population View.