Pakistanupdated 1h ago2 min read
Asim Munir Arrives in Tehran for Talks to Prevent US-Iran Fighting
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran with delegation for US-Iran mediation. The visit aims to revive stalled US-Iran talks and de-escalate regional tensions.
The Jerusalem Post was read line by line by the Watchdog: 4.5. See the score →
Munir in Tehran
Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Tuesday evening for talks with Iranian officials as diplomatic efforts ramp up to prevent a new round of fighting with the United States and Israel. IRNA reported that Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied Munir, and IRNA said Munir was expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi first. Munir’s visit was his fifth to Iran since the April ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, which was brokered by Islamabad.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Tehran a day before Munir’s visit, and two weeks before Munir’s visit Pakistan and its allies agreed to accelerate the deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia. Seyed Mojtaba Jalazadeh said, “The timing of [Munir’s] visit, following Lavrov’s presence in Tehran, suggests that Iran prefers to keep multiple diplomatic channels open”.
Iran sets conditions
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told the visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir that Tehran would not allow nuclear material to leave the country, saying, “Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran”. Rezaei added, “There will be no negotiations until America takes steps to build trust”. Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Munir, “We have nothing new to say; America cannot gain Iran’s trust unless it fulfils the seven conditions”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded to a question about the purpose of Munir’s visit by emphasizing that the meetings would primarily focus on bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation. Baghaei also said he was “unaware of the specific agenda” of Munir’s visit and would need to speak with the field marshal to determine which topics would be discussed.
Mediation, stakes, and deadlock
Pakistan’s Foreign Office continued to point to the Islamabad MoU, saying on October 9 that “The Islamabad MoU is already in place, and some of the points currently under discussion are fully aligned with it,” and Ishaq Dar said on October 2 that Iran’s seven-day plan was drawn from the MoU. Umer Karim said the Islamabad MoU was “done from both sides and perhaps a new mechanism is required to start negotiations,” while Krieg said it was “politically alive”, but “operationally dead”. The Strait of Hormuz is “one of the most urgent issues confronting the mediation effort,” and disruption to shipping through it can drive up oil prices, freight costs and insurance premiums.
Reuters said Iran maintained an offer to reopen the strait within seven days, while Tehran and Washington continued to trade accusations over responsibility for insecurity in the waterway. Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war on September 26 and the US deployed an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East expected to arrive by late November, adding urgency to diplomatic efforts to sidestep a potential military escalation.