Pakistan ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Iran-U.S. mediation after second Munir visit to Tehran

Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States, its spokesman said after Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir made his second visit to Tehran this month.

“Why would the Field Marshal be going twice if it is not for some positivity? So yes, of course,” Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, told Reuters in Rawalpindi when asked whether Munir’s visits indicated progress.

“The word that we would use is always cautiously optimistic,” he added.

Munir, Pakistan’s chief mediator in efforts to de-escalate the eight-month Iran war, most recently traveled to Tehran on Monday alongside Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.

Chaudhry declined to disclose what was discussed in Tehran or whether Washington had backed the trip.

He cautioned that there were still “powerful spoilers and detractors” who believed continued conflict served their interests, but did not identify them.

The talks marked the first high-level contact between Iran and senior representatives from all three members of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement since Saudi Arabia became more deeply exposed to the regional conflict.

Pakistan has sought to position itself as a mediator while maintaining close security ties with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and keeping diplomatic channels open with Tehran.

Chaudhry also said the Mecca pact does not bar additional members, including potentially Iran, although any expansion would require a political decision by the three current signatories.