The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, the Chief of the Pakistani Army, Asim Munir, and the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, are shown arriving in Islamabad for discussions with Iranian officials on April 11, 2026 (POOL / Jacquelyn MARTIN).
The Chief of the Pakistani Army, Asim Munir, is on his way to Tehran on Friday, according to security sources in Pakistan, a mediator in negotiations to end the war between Iran and the United States.
During his official visit, announced on Thursday by Iranian media, the powerful army chief will have meetings with Iranian leaders, the security sources said.
Since a fragile ceasefire went into effect on April 8 after more than a month of conflict, only one unsuccessful negotiation session was held on April 11 in Islambad.
Efforts for diplomacy continue, with hopes that Asim Munir’s visit will move things forward after the earlier visit of Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, both sides continue to make martial statements. Iran has reiterated that it will never succumb to intimidation, with the Revolutionary Guards threatening to extend the war well beyond the region in case of a new American attack.
An agreement with Iran would save “a lot of time, energy, and lives,” said Donald Trump from the White House in Washington on May 22, 2026 (AFP / Aaron Schwartz).
The American president seeks a resolution to this unpopular war in his country, which has severely disrupted the global economy due to the near-blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Tehran, through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
Global stock markets were optimistic about a potential agreement, with indices rising on Friday afternoon in the United States and Europe.
There were tentative hopes in the oil market as fears of a supply shortage, particularly with the upcoming holidays, boosted oil prices.
