ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday as part of ongoing mediation efforts between the United States and Iran aimed at securing a permanent truce.
“The Pakistani army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday evening as part of the mediation between Iran and the United States to end the war and resolve differences,” the state-affiliated Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.
The diplomatic efforts follow the US and Israeli aerial campaign launched against Iran on February 28, which triggered retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region. The two sides agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8, but negotiations later stalled as both countries imposed maritime restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The visit comes days after Tehran confirmed it was reviewing a US response delivered through Pakistani mediators.
“Some officials emphasized that the presence of Pakistani army chief Asim Munir does not necessarily mean that an understanding has been reached on the initial framework,” ISNA reported.
Earlier on Friday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has been in Tehran since Wednesday, “once again” met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to ISNA. The agency added that Naqvi has been “facilitating communication between Iran and the United States to reach a framework for ending the war and resolving disputes under the coordination of senior Pakistani officials.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday that he hoped the Pakistani delegation’s visit would help move talks forward. “I believe the Pakistanis will be traveling to Tehran today. So hopefully that'll advance this further,” Rubio said.
“We've made some progress, but obviously, we are dealing with a system that is a little fractured, the Iranian system,” Rubio added. “There’s some good signs, but I don’t want to be overly optimistic as well.”
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday Tehran’s priority remains ending the conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, while also demanding the release of frozen assets and an end to US measures targeting Iranian shipping.
Tensions have also continued at sea. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Friday that 35 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours under its coordination, asserting that passage through the waterway requires its permission.
Meanwhile, US Central Command said its forces redirected 97 commercial vessels and disabled four others while enforcing restrictions on Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump said Washington has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and insisted the waterway remain open without tolls.