Asim Munir Concludes Iran Talks, Pakistan Says ‘Encouraging Progress’ Toward US Ceasefire

Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir concluded a short but “highly productive” visit to Iran on Saturday, with Pakistan’s military saying “encouraging progress” was made toward reaching a final understanding in talks to end the war with the United States.

In Tehran, Munir held “high-level engagements” with Iranian leadership including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Iranian state television reported that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Munir the US was not an honest party and Iran would not compromise on its national rights.

Al Jazeera

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was in the final stages of drafting a 14-point memorandum of understanding, adding that “Within a reasonable period of 30 to 60 days” details of the points would be discussed.

While US officials signaled movement, Reuters reported late on Saturday that Iran and Pakistan had submitted a revised proposal to the US to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, citing two Pakistani sources familiar with the negotiations.

In parallel, US President Donald Trump told CBS that if the sides did not reach an agreement “we’re going to have a situation where no country will ever be hit as hard as they’re about to be hit,” as the diplomatic push continued.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck an optimistic tone in India, telling reporters “some progress” had been made in the talks and that “even as I speak to you now, there’s some work being done.”

Iran’s caution came through both official messaging and negotiator rhetoric, with Al Jazeera reporting that Baghaei said Tehran was not at a decisive stage and that “deep and significant” disagreements remained.

Al Jazeera

During the same diplomatic window, Reuters reported that Iran and Pakistan submitted a revised proposal to the US to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while The Guardian said Trump would meet US negotiators to review Iran’s latest proposal and decide by Sunday whether to strike.

The Guardian also quoted Trump’s Axios interview in which he said it was a “solid 50/50” on whether Washington could make a “good” deal with Iran or begin striking again.

Iranian state media framed the stakes in terms of national rights, with Ghalibaf telling Munir that “If Trump acts foolishly and the war resumes, the response against the United States will certainly be more crushing and bitter than on the first day of the war,” according to The Guardian.

Pakistan’s mediation push is tied to a fragile ceasefire that has remained paused since April 8, with Arab News PK reporting that negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and maritime access remain deadlocked.

Arab News PK said Munir’s talks in Tehran with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni produced progress toward a “final understanding,” while the ISPR said “The intensive negotiations over the last twenty four hours have resulted in encouraging progress toward a final understanding.”

At the same time, Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused Washington of “excessive demands” that were pushing peace talks toward collapse, and it said Iran was finalising a memorandum of understanding.

The Guardian described how the ceasefire was meant to stop fighting and create space for negotiations over reopening the strait of Hormuz, while saying talks have largely not progressed and the strait remains mostly closed despite mediation efforts.

With the diplomatic track continuing, The Guardian reported that Trump was preparing for a renewed round of strikes as negotiations for an enduring truce sputtered, and it said the outcome of the latest proposal review would be decided by Sunday.