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Pakistan Army Chief Heads to Tehran for US-Iran Talks
(MENAFN) Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to travel to Tehran within the next 24 hours for high-stakes negotiations over a "temporary" arrangement to formally end the US-Iran war, Pakistani government sources with direct knowledge of the matter told media Thursday.
The sources indicated Munir could depart for Tehran as early as Thursday evening to conduct what they described as "decisive" talks on the interim agreement — a framework designed to prevent a relapse into open conflict while creating the conditions for direct bilateral dialogue on Iran's nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
No official confirmation of the visit has been issued. Iranian media had separately reported the Pakistani army chief was anticipated in the capital.
As of 1100GMT, Munir remained on Pakistani soil, presiding over a military honors ceremony in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the army's media wing confirmed.
The groundwork for Munir's expected visit has already been laid. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran ahead of the army chief and on Wednesday held detailed discussions on the temporary arrangement with senior Iranian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
The proposed interim deal encompasses three core elements: the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, and the convening of nuclear negotiations within 30 days. Thornier issues — including the release of Iran's frozen assets, the lifting of international sanctions, and compensation for war damages — would be deferred to direct Washington-Tehran talks.
"If the two sides sign the agreement, a second round of direct talks between the two sides is highly expected to resume after Eid-ul-Adha in Islamabad," a Pakistani source said.
The three-day Muslim festival of sacrifice is set to begin next Wednesday.
The diplomatic push comes against a backdrop of profound regional upheaval. US and Israeli strikes against Tehran beginning in February killed more than 3,300 people and displaced thousands across Iran. Tehran retaliated with attacks on Israel and US allies throughout the Gulf, while simultaneously shutting the Strait of Hormuz — a closure that sent global energy markets into turmoil. At least 13 US servicemen were killed and dozens more wounded before Pakistan brokered a ceasefire on April 8.
Subsequent talks in Islamabad — the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979 — nonetheless failed to yield a durable settlement. President Trump subsequently extended the ceasefire indefinitely.
Both sides have since remained locked in an ongoing exchange of proposals and counter-proposals as they attempt to translate the fragile truce into lasting diplomacy.
The sources indicated Munir could depart for Tehran as early as Thursday evening to conduct what they described as "decisive" talks on the interim agreement — a framework designed to prevent a relapse into open conflict while creating the conditions for direct bilateral dialogue on Iran's nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
No official confirmation of the visit has been issued. Iranian media had separately reported the Pakistani army chief was anticipated in the capital.
As of 1100GMT, Munir remained on Pakistani soil, presiding over a military honors ceremony in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the army's media wing confirmed.
The groundwork for Munir's expected visit has already been laid. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran ahead of the army chief and on Wednesday held detailed discussions on the temporary arrangement with senior Iranian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
The proposed interim deal encompasses three core elements: the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, and the convening of nuclear negotiations within 30 days. Thornier issues — including the release of Iran's frozen assets, the lifting of international sanctions, and compensation for war damages — would be deferred to direct Washington-Tehran talks.
"If the two sides sign the agreement, a second round of direct talks between the two sides is highly expected to resume after Eid-ul-Adha in Islamabad," a Pakistani source said.
The three-day Muslim festival of sacrifice is set to begin next Wednesday.
The diplomatic push comes against a backdrop of profound regional upheaval. US and Israeli strikes against Tehran beginning in February killed more than 3,300 people and displaced thousands across Iran. Tehran retaliated with attacks on Israel and US allies throughout the Gulf, while simultaneously shutting the Strait of Hormuz — a closure that sent global energy markets into turmoil. At least 13 US servicemen were killed and dozens more wounded before Pakistan brokered a ceasefire on April 8.
Subsequent talks in Islamabad — the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979 — nonetheless failed to yield a durable settlement. President Trump subsequently extended the ceasefire indefinitely.
Both sides have since remained locked in an ongoing exchange of proposals and counter-proposals as they attempt to translate the fragile truce into lasting diplomacy.
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