Looking to carve out a mediation role, Pakistan's army chief Gen. Asim Munir spoke to US President Donald Trump about the ongoing Iran war, a press report said Monday.
Pakistan "is positioning itself as the lead mediator trying to broker an end to the US's and Israel's war against Iran, using Munir's "ties to Tehran and warm" relationship with Trump, The Financial Times reported.
Munir spoke with Trump on Sunday, according to two people briefed on the call, said the report.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday also held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and called for "collective" efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East.
"Two people briefed on the matter said senior Pakistani officials were back-channelling communications between Tehran and Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and envoy," the report said, adding that Pakistan has put Islamabad forward as an option for a summit between senior Trump administration officials and Iranian officials as part of its diplomatic efforts.
Munir met Trump twice last year, first in June, and later in September, when he was accompanied by Shehbaz Sharif.
Separately, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Monday.
The two discussed recent regional developments, as Dar "emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond," said a ministry statement on US social media company X.
"Both sides agreed to remain in close contact on the evolving situation," it said.
Trump said Monday that he ordered a five-say pause of all strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, citing "very good and productive" talks with Tehran over the past two days.
Regional escalation has continued since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
