A day after Lavrov's visit: Pakistani army chief visits Tehran today

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran on Tuesday, a day after Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit, amid diplomatic deadlock between Iran and the US over reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan mediates between the two countries and previously drafted a memorandum of understanding that collapsed.

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran on Tuesday, according to official Iranian news (IRNA). The visit comes a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit, as Moscow also seeks to position itself as a potential mediator. These moves come amid a diplomatic stalemate between Tehran and Washington, with both sides sticking to their positions, particularly regarding the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday blamed the US for the "insecurity" in the strait, which Iran effectively closed in response to the Israeli-American aggression that targeted its territory at the end of February. Iran controls this waterway, through which a fifth of global energy supplies passed before the war, and repeatedly targets ships entering without its permission. In response, Washington imposes a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The Pakistani mediator played a very active role in drafting a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, signed in mid-June, which was supposed to end the conflict but quickly collapsed. Despite the halt of US military strikes against Iran since the beginning of September, the specter of renewed hostilities still looms. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told reporters on Tuesday, "We live with this possibility day and night, and we cannot rule it out."