Pakistan’s army chief Munir returns to Iran: Can he break US war deadlock?

What the report says

Pakistan’s army chief and chief of defence forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is due to travel to Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials, according to Iran’s foreign ministry. Al Jazeera reported that this will be Munir’s third visit to Iran this year, as Islamabad continues trying to position itself as a mediator between Tehran and Washington amid the wider US-Iran confrontation and the war in Iran involving Israel.

The visit follows recent phone contacts between Munir and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and comes after earlier rounds of regional diplomacy that have not produced a breakthrough. According to the report, the 60-day window under an Islamabad memorandum of understanding among Pakistan, Iran and the US expired in mid-August without an extension. The trip also comes as Washington prepares another round of sanctions on Iran and as regional tensions remain elevated, including over Houthi attacks on shipping and Pakistan’s own concerns after a strike on a commercial vessel that killed Pakistani sailors.

Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks would build on Pakistan’s efforts to support peace and security in the region. The report says Munir is also expected to meet newly appointed Iranian military figures. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera disagreed on how much leverage Pakistan really has: some said it can provide a trusted channel because it has little direct stake, while others argued its influence is limited and that only the US and Iran can decide whether talks resume. The article frames the visit as part of ongoing, uncertain diplomacy rather than a sign of a deal being near.