Pakistan military 'cautiously optimistic' on Iran-US mediation

Pakistan's military is "cautiously optimistic" about its mediation between Iran and the US, spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday alongside Saudi and Turkish officials. Chaudhry noted "powerful spoilers and detractors" but declined to discuss specifics.

Pakistan's military is "cautiously optimistic" about its mediation between Iran and the United States, according to spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his first interview since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's chief mediator in efforts to de-escalate the eight-month-old Iran war, has been to Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday alongside Saudi and Turkish officials. Chaudhry said the trips were a positive sign but noted there were still "powerful spoilers and detractors" who believe conflict serves them. He declined to discuss specifics of the talks or whether the US had backed the trip. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey on August 7, does not bar new members, and Chaudhry left the door open for Iran to join. On the home front, the federal government suspended the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11 and detained Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, accusing the administration of failing to tackle militancy. The PTI rejected the allegations.