Pakistan’s army chief to visit Iran with war mediation stalled

Pakistan’s powerful army chief Asim Munir will travel to Tehran on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry said, as Islamabad tries to mediate a resolution to the Middle East war.

Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement Sunday that Munir would lead a delegation to the Iranian capital “as part of efforts to strengthen Iran-Pakistan bilateral cooperation”.

The visit was also part of “Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to help consolidate peace and security in the region”, the statement said.

Pakistan has played a key role in efforts to halt war between Iran and the United States, brokering a memorandum of understanding in June, but peace negotiations currently appear stalled.

Earlier this month Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, a move some analysts said was aimed at countering Iranian influence.