US President Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir ahead of Army Chief’s visit to Tehran on Monday, according to three Pakistani sources, with one saying the main US request was to use Pakistan’s influence to bring Iran back to negotiations, reports Reuters news agency.
Donald Trump last week warned of economic consequences against any country that provided “any type of lifeline to Iran” as he seeks to isolate the Islamic Republic. Iran has in turn vowed to shut down all oil exports from the Gulf.
Last week’s call, which has not been previously reported, was initiated by Trump, according to two Pakistani sources.
The White House Office of the Press Secretary did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear what Asim Munir and Trump discussed in detail.
Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Monday accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s military confirmed, saying it was “part of Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.”
Pakistan, which has played a key mediating role between the US and Iran this year, has remained a trading partner of Iran throughout the recent fighting.
Field Marshal Asim Munir was expected to meet with people close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday, one Pakistani source said.
Another Pakistani government source said while US-Iran tensions were a focus of the visit, Asim Munir was also expected to discuss recent attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi fighters on Pakistan’s ally Saudi Arabia as well as the recently signed mutual defence agreement between Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s earlier mediation efforts between the US and Iran resulted in an interim peace agreement signed in June. But the Islamabad Memorandum quickly faltered, amid new fighting between Iran and the US that has threatened to spiral into a wider regional conflict in recent weeks.
“There is a trust deficit on both sides,” a third Pakistani source said about the US and Iran, adding that Asim Munir’s aim was to mitigate the lack of mutual trust on Monday.
According to Iranian news agency ISNA, Field Marshal Asim Munir has arrived in Tehran and has been welcomed by Eskandar Momeni, Interior Minister of Iran.
This was Field Marshal Asim Munir’s fourth visit to Iran since the hostilities began.
Earlier in a statement released in Islamabad, the ISPR said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir along with Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi left Islamabad for Iran as part of Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
According to an ISPR statement, during his visit Field Marshal Asim Munir will lay focus on promoting efforts for peaceful, lasting and comprehensive solution to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
According to reports in Iranian media, Field Marshal Asim Munir will hold high-level diplomatic discussions with Iranian officials aimed at restoring regional stability.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had announced on Sunday that Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday to continue efforts to bring peace and security to the region.
Pakistan has taken on a mediator role in negotiations between Iran and the US aimed at ending the war which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Pakistan has consistently served as a central mediator between Tehran and Washington since conflict erupted on Feb. 28. Although both powers signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding on June 17 also diplomatic negotiations stalled over key disputes concerning security guarantees and transit rights in the Strait of Hormuz.
The current diplomatic push follows a series of direct military escalations between July 8 and 24. During that period, Washington launched targeted strikes inside Iran while Tehran retaliated by targeting US military facilities across host nations in the region including Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Diplomats hope Islamabad’s direct involvement will encourage both sides to resume structured talks.
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