Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meetings with Iran’s top civilian and military leadership during his visit to the country have resulted in “encouraging progress towards a final understanding”, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
CDF Munir concluded a short but highly productive official visit to Iran during which he held high-level engagements with Iranian leadership as part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and constructive engagement, Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.
During the visit, Field Marshal Munir called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
Discussions remained focused on accelerating the ongoing consultation process to support peace and stability in the region and to reach a final agreement, the statement said.
CDF Munir landed in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad stepped up efforts to help broker a peace deal between the US and Iran.
Pakistan has acted as a key mediator between the two sides since hostilities erupted in the Middle East following the February 28 joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Islamabad brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8, ending six weeks of fighting and continues to relay messages between Washington and Tehran.
Amid Pakistan’s diplomatic push for peace in the region, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier today that there was a chance Tehran would accept a deal to end the war as early as Saturday.
“There is a chance that whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple of days, we may have something to say,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi, adding that he was hoping for “good news.”
Iran, on the other hand, said it was focused on finalizing a memorandum of understanding through Pakistan-mediated talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, the ISPR said Field Marshal Munir’s engagements with the Iranian leadership were held in a “positive and constructive environment” and made a meaningful contribution to the mediation process.
“The intensive negotiations over the past 24 hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding,” it added.
The ISPR said the Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan’s “sincere and constructive” role in facilitating dialogue and promoting peaceful resolution of regional issues.
Arriving in Tehran on Friday, Field Marshal Munir was received by Iran’s interior minister along with senior civilian and military officials, it added.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details.
