Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Tuesday, according to a Pakistani official and Iranian media. The trip comes as efforts to restart dialogue between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.
Pakistan has played a key mediating role between the United States and Iran this year. Munir’s visit follows earlier talks with Iranian leaders over the summer, which focused on preventing further escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing the conflict to a faster end. The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Stalled talks over the terms for resuming negotiations
Both sides are at odds over the conditions for returning to the negotiating table. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days still stood, but progress depended on Washington’s response to Iran’s demands. Those demands include lifting the US blockade on its ports, easing sanctions on oil exports and ending hostilities across regional fronts. Washington, for its part, wants Iran’s nuclear programme addressed as a priority.
Naqvi urges patience and credits Qatar’s role
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said peace between the United States and Iran requires patience, trust and sustained effort, and that lasting peace cannot be secured in a single meeting. Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha on Monday, he said Pakistan had made every possible effort to bring Washington and Tehran to the table. He acknowledged that tensions had at times escalated sharply, but said Islamabad did not give up.
Naqvi also praised Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mediate between the two countries, saying Islamabad and Doha had worked together to prevent further escalation in the region. The visit also comes amid wider regional tensions, including Yemen’s internationally recognised government fighting Houthi rebels, who are targeting Saudi Arabia.
