CDF Asim Munir, Mohsin Naqvi arrive in Tehran as Pakistan steps up US-Iran mediation

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Mohsin Naqvi have arrived in Tehran along with a Pakistani delegation as part of ongoing efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Wednesday.

The visit comes as Pakistan intensifies efforts to turn the existing two-week ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement. Sources said a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran is likely to be held in Islamabad by the end of next week.

Officials and security agencies have been directed to make necessary administrative and security arrangements ahead of the expected negotiations.

According to sources, the US delegation may include Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump.

The Iranian side is expected to be represented by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

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The development follows recent talks in Islamabad, where delegations from both countries held nearly 21 hours of discussions aimed at ending the conflict. However, the talks concluded without agreement due to differences over key issues, including Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of US sanctions.

The conflict began on February 28 after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory actions by Tehran, including disruptions in regional shipping routes and attacks on US and Israeli targets.

Hostilities were temporarily halted on April 8 after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a two-week ceasefire and invited both sides to Islamabad for dialogue.

Despite the lack of a formal agreement, Pakistan has continued diplomatic engagement. A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, confirmed that Tehran and Washington are exchanging messages via Pakistan.

He said further talks are expected to focus on achieving a full ceasefire, including discussions on sanctions relief, compensation for damages, and restoration of Iran’s frozen assets, although no final outcome has yet been reached.

A senior US official also confirmed continued engagement between Washington and Tehran but said there has been no formal agreement to extend the current ceasefire.