Marks second visit by field marshal within five weeks
Naqvi’s meetings in Tehran showed tangible progress
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni welcomes Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on his arrival in Tehran on Friday. Photo: ISPR
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday on a much-anticipated visit that has rekindled hopes for a possible interim deal between Iran and the US aimed at formally ending the ongoing conflict while creating space for further negotiations on contentious issues.
“Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDF), arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing mediation efforts,” the military’s media wing said in a statement issued shortly after his arrival in the Iranian capital.
“On arrival, he was received and warmly welcomed by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also present at the reception,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) added.
The field marshal had remained on standby since Thursday and is believed to have travelled to Tehran after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s meetings with Iranian authorities showed tangible progress over the past several days.
This marks the second visit by Field Marshal Munir to Tehran within five weeks.
He had travelled to the Iranian capital last month, days after the first round of Iran-US talks held in Islamabad failed to produce a breakthrough.
At the time, the army chief spent three days in Tehran as part of efforts to bring the negotiations back on track. However, the proposed second round of talks could not materialise as Iran and the United States remained far apart on key issues despite the exchange of multiple proposals.
This time, however, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was tasked with laying the groundwork for crucial talks. He first visited Tehran last weekend and spent four days there before returning for another trip days later amid intensive diplomatic engagements.
Sources said the army chief would travel to Iran only if there was substantial progress and the prospects of an interim agreement were high. His arrival in Tehran and expected meetings with the Iranian leadership now suggest forward movement in the mediation process.
Adding further credence to reports of a possible breakthrough was Tehran’s decision to reappoint Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as head of Iran’s negotiating team, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei was appointed spokesperson for the negotiating team as well.
The move is being seen as an indication that Iran-US talks could resume following the finalisation of an interim arrangement.
A Qatari delegation also arrived in Tehran on Friday for what were described as crucial discussions. Doha is believed to have played a key role in drafting a new proposal aimed at ending the war.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed that a Qatari delegation was present in Tehran on Friday and had held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Without divulging details, Baghaei said several countries had been in contact with the Iranian foreign minister in recent days. However, he stressed that Pakistan remained the mediator between Iran and the United States.
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were the three countries that President Trump said on Monday had persuaded him to temporarily halt attacks on Iran.
Over the past two days, important discussions continued between Pakistan and Iran during Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Tehran. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the talks focused on reviewing proposals aimed at resolving differences between Tehran and Washington.
