ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has departed for Tehran alongside Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for talks with senior Iranian officials, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.
The visit comes as Islamabad seeks to revive diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting settlement between Washington and Tehran amid continuing hostilities and stalled negotiations.
According to IRNA, a diplomatic source in Islamabad confirmed that Munir had left for Iran and was scheduled to meet senior Iranian officials. The source also confirmed that Naqvi was accompanying the army chief, reported Arab News.
Pakistani authorities had not immediately confirmed the visit.
Munir’s departure follows a report by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency on Monday that he would travel to Tehran to discuss regional developments, bilateral cooperation and Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.
Washington and Tehran have remained locked in conflict since February, with Pakistan playing a prominent diplomatic role in efforts to end the hostilities. An interim peace agreement brokered by Islamabad in June collapsed weeks later, while tensions have continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trade and Border Cooperation on Agenda
Discussions in Tehran are also expected to cover bilateral relations and measures to facilitate trade across the Pakistan-Iran border, another official source told IRNA.
The talks follow Pakistan’s temporary suspension of trade at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan border crossings in southwestern Balochistan over security concerns, leaving hundreds of trucks and containers stranded.
Provincial authorities subsequently indicated that negotiations to reopen the crossings were progressing.
IRNA described the trip as Munir’s fifth official visit to Tehran since a ceasefire following an earlier phase of the conflict.
Regional Security Concerns
The visit also comes amid heightened regional tensions following a series of missile and drone attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces against Saudi energy and aviation facilities this month.
Pakistan, which maintains defence agreements with Saudi Arabia, has pledged to support the Kingdom’s security in the wake of the attacks.
Munir’s meetings in Tehran are expected to address regional developments alongside bilateral ties and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States.
