Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meetings with Iran’s top civil and military leadership during his visit to the country have resulted in “encouraging progress towards a final understanding”, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
CDF Munir concluded a short but highly productive official visit to Iran, during which he held high-level engagements with Iranian leadership as part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and constructive engagement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.
During the visit, Field Marshal Munir called on Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
“The discussions remained focused upon expediting the consultative process underway to support peace and stability in the region and to reach to a conclusive agreement,” read the communique.
CDF Munir landed in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad intensified efforts to help broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan has been acting as a key mediator between the two sides since hostilities erupted in the Middle East following joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Islamabad brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8 that ended six weeks of fighting and continues to relay messages between Washington and Tehran.
Amid Pakistan’s diplomatic push for peace in the region, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier today that there was a chance Tehran would accept a deal to end the war as soon as Saturday.
“There is a chance that, whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi, adding he hoped for “good news”.
Iran, on the other hand, said it was focused on finalising a memorandum of understanding through Pakistani-mediated talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, the ISPR said that Field Marshal Munir’s engagements with the Iranian leadership were held in a “positive and constructive environment” and made a meaningful contribution to the mediation process.
“The intensive negotiations over the last 24 hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding,” it added.
The ISPR said that the Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan’s “sincere and constructive” role in facilitating dialogue and promoting the peaceful settlement of regional issues.
Upon his arrival in Tehran on Friday, Field Marshal Munir was received by the Iranian interior minister along with senior civil and military officials, it added.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
