Pakistan military cautiously optimistic on Iran-US mediation

Pakistan’s military said it is cautiously optimistic about efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States, pointing to Army Chief Asim Munir’s repeated visits to Tehran as an encouraging sign while disclosing no breakthrough or renewed negotiations. Military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the assessment in an interview on Friday, after a regional delegation visited Tehran earlier in the week. Munir has travelled to the Iranian capital twice this month, Chaudhry said, describing the visits as a positive indication but stressing that the military remained cautiously optimistic. Munir’s latest visit took place on Monday alongside Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. The delegation held talks with senior Iranian officials. Chaudhry declined to disclose what was discussed or whether Washington supported the visit. The comments do not establish that Iran and the United States have agreed to resume formal negotiations or that the Tehran meetings produced concrete steps toward a settlement. Chaudhry said powerful opponents of ending the conflict remained, but did not identify them. Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei,...