Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, left for an official visit to Iran today, as Islamabad has intensified its efforts at mediation between the US and Iran amid fears of renewed conflict in the region.
As per security sources, Munir would be discussing the US-Iran negotiations, regional peace, as well as the broader topic of regional security during meetings with senior Iranian officials.
The visit comes as Pakistan has been increasingly positioning itself as the main intermediary between Washington and Tehran following the start of the joint US-Israel war against Iran on February 28.
Publicly acknowledging Islamabad’s role, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington was in “constant communication” with Munir and Pakistan’s leadership.
“The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan and continues to be and they’ve done a, you know, I think an admirable job,” Rubio told reporters in Sweden, according to Fox News.
He added that although the US remained in contact with other regional countries, Pakistan has been serving as the main channel to pursue diplomatic outreach with Iran.
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire that came into effect on April 8, after weeks of escalating confrontation between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.
The first direct US-Iran talks in years were then held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, but the discussions ended without a breakthrough.
US President Donald Trump later cancelled plans for a second round of negotiations in Islamabad involving US envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, although he extended the ceasefire indefinitely, saying the move came at the request of Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan has since stepped up shuttle diplomacy in an effort to revive negotiations.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travelled to Tehran twice within a week, meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament officials and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Pakistan CDF himself visited Iran last month alongside Naqvi as part of what Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), termed as ongoing mediation efforts geared towards de-escalation.
Diplomatic sources said Pakistan continues to relay messages between Tehran and Washington, but negotiations remain stalled over disputes involving Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, missile capabilities and Tehran’s regional allied armed groups.
Trump warned on Wednesday that talks were entering a decisive phase and threatened to resume military strikes if an agreement was not reached within what he called a “limited timeframe”.
Iran has meanwhile warned that any renewed US attack could trigger wider confrontation beyond the Middle East, while also insisting diplomacy remains possible.
Iran’s latest proposal reportedly includes demands for sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the US naval blockade imposed after Tehran shut down the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war.
The closure of the Strait and subsequent disruption to global shipping have intensified fears of a prolonged energy crisis, with fuel shortages and rising transport costs affecting economies worldwide.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth nevertheless insisted this week that “no one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy.”
