Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with senior Iranian officials as Islamabad seeks to mediate between Washington and Tehran amid renewed fears of regional escalation.
Munir, accompanied by a Pakistani delegation, met first with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He was also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other senior officials.
Pakistan has played a key role in mediating between Iran and the US, seeking to prevent renewed hostilities and advance diplomatic efforts toward an agreement.
The visit comes amid growing concerns over a possible renewed confrontation involving the US, Israel and Iran. Iranian media have reported military exercises and missile tests in recent weeks, while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Israel on Monday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Islamabad's commitment to mediation on Tuesday, saying at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Tajikistan that dialogue and diplomacy were the most effective means of resolving regional tensions.
According to Germany's DPA news agency, Pakistani intelligence sources described Munir's visit and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent trip to Tehran as part of a broader effort to de-escalate tensions.
The reported diplomatic initiative addresses both a possible US-Iran agreement and the conflict involving Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan, a Saudi ally, is reportedly seeking to warn Tehran that continued Houthi attacks could risk drawing Islamabad into a conflict with Iran.
Lavrov met with Araghchi in Tehran on Monday, with the Iranian foreign minister describing relations between Moscow and Tehran as closer than ever.