Pakistan Army Chief Arrives in Tehran for Talks

Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on October 20 with a Pakistani delegation, as Islamabad pursues diplomacy amid renewed concern about escalation between Iran and the United States. Iranian state media reported the arrival. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied him, according to Iranian media reports. The visit’s purpose and any outcome were not established in the reports. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said before the trip that its primary objective was to strengthen bilateral relations and mutual cooperation. Iranian media said talks would also cover regional developments, diplomatic processes and international issues. Pakistan had not publicly commented on the visit at the time of the reporting. Munir was expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to IRNA. The visit comes as Islamabad seeks to maintain contact with both Tehran and Washington and has previously played a role in efforts to broker talks between them. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said on October 9 that points under discussion aligned with the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the...