Munir leaves for Tehran amid US-Iran peace effort

Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday left for a crucial visit to Tehran amidst efforts to broker a peace deal between the US and Iran to end the war in the region, according to security sources.

His second visit to Tehran in little more than a month comes after progress was reported in talks held by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has been in Iran since Wednesday, with top Iranian leadership, including twice with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to sources.

Field Marshal Munir will meet with important Iranian dignitaries and discuss Iran-US talks, peace in the region and other important issues during his visit to Iran, they said.

Separately, Iran’s state-run Press TV quoted the official IRNA news agency as saying that Field Marshal Munir is en route to Tehran to hold talks with Iranian officials. His visit comes after Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, when asked about it, said he could “neither deny nor confirm” reports about a “high-level delegation” visiting Iran from Pakistan.

Andrabi earlier said that Rubio’s statement was in reference to Naqvi’s visit to Iran and not any other visit. He also said that Pakistani leadership was in touch with the Iranian President, adding that “this is part of engagements with neighbouring countries”.

Munir dashed to Tehran after Interior Minister Naqvi held two rounds of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi as part of efforts to end the conflict in the region. Naqvi landed in Tehran on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, his second in less than a week, aiming to reduce the differences between Tehran and Washington.

He has already met the top Iranian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s interior minister, and other senior officials.

Foreign Minister Araghchi met Naqvi on Thursday and Friday to review proposals for resolving disputes, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News agency reported.  Naqvi and Araghchi discussed detailed proposals aimed at ending the US-Iran conflict, Geo News reported, quoting Iran’s official media.