U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir last week ahead of Munir’s visit to Tehran, with Pakistani sources saying Washington urged Islamabad to use its influence to encourage Iran to return to negotiations.
the call was initiated by Trump, according to two Pakistani sources. One source said the main U.S. request was for Pakistan to help persuade Iran to resume talks as Washington seeks to isolate Tehran economically.
Trump last week warned that countries providing what he described as “any type of lifeline to Iran” could face economic consequences. Iran, meanwhile, has threatened to halt oil exports from the Gulf amid escalating tensions with the United States.
Munir arrived in Tehran on Monday accompanied by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Pakistan’s military said the visit was part of Islamabad’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
Pakistan has maintained close economic ties with Iran throughout the recent conflict and has played a significant mediating role between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad previously helped facilitate an interim peace agreement between the two countries in June, although the agreement later broke down as fighting resumed.
Munir was expected to meet people close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, according to one Pakistani source.
A Pakistani government source said the talks were also expected to cover recent attacks by Iran aligned Houthi fighters against Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s ally, as well as the recently signed mutual defence agreement between Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
A third Pakistani source said a major challenge facing the talks was a lack of trust between Washington and Tehran.
“There is a trust deficit on both sides,” the source said, adding that Munir’s objective was to help reduce the mistrust and create space for renewed negotiations.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s conversation with Munir or the details of their discussions.
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