Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will go to Tehran on Monday with a delegation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced the trip on Sunday, saying it is meant to continue efforts for peace and security in the region. In remarks carried by the state news agency IRNA, he said the visit would also build bilateral cooperation, and that Munir would hold talks with senior Iranian officials.
Pakistan has been the main go-between for Iran and the United States during the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Islamabad has stayed in close contact with both sides.
Two Pakistani government sources confirmed the visit to Reuters. One said Iran and Pakistan were in direct contact. The other said Munir would take up the latest developments in the conflict, including Trump’s threat of tougher sanctions. “He will discuss peace under Islamabad’s MoU, Trump’s warning and the situation after the Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arab Agreement and Houthi issues with Iranian leaders,” the source said.
A stalled track
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 and opened talks toward a final deal. Those talks later stalled over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Between July 8 and July 24, the two countries traded strikes. Washington hit targets inside Iran, and Tehran hit US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, among them Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Sanctions on the table
Monday is also the day the US is due to announce details of its planned sanctions. US officials have called them “the toughest sanctions in history.” Iran has threatened a military response, and its economy is already under heavy strain.
Trump has warned of consequences for any country that gives “any type of lifeline to Iran” while he tries to isolate it.
Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are at a virtual standstill. Tehran has threatened to strike any unauthorized tanker that tries to pass.
Sources
- Iran says Pakistan’s army chief to visit Tehran on Monday
- Pakistani army chief to visit Tehran on Monday
