Munir’s Iran talks to ‘focus on comprehensive resolution’ to Mideast conflict: Pakistan

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir Monday is visiting Iran's capital Tehran, to hold talks with Iranian officials on a "comprehensive resolution of the conflict in the Middle East," an official statement said.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also part of the visiting delegation.

Field Marshal Munir "will focus on promoting efforts towards peaceful, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the conflict in the Middle East," the Pakistan army said in a brief statement.

The trip is "part of Pakistan's efforts to promote regional peace and stability," it added.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei announced that Munir was going to visit Tehran to discuss bilateral ties, as well as regional peace efforts, with high-ranking Iranian officials.

Pakistan has remained the main mediator between Iran and the US throughout the war that began on Feb. 28, and has maintained close contact with both sides.

The US and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding on June 17 and launched negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

Between July 8 and July 24, the US and Iran exchanged military strikes, with Washington launching attacks on targets inside Iran, and Tehran responding by striking US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

After securing a ceasefire on April 8, Pakistan hosted the highest-level direct talks between the US and Iran since they broke diplomatic ties in 1979. The talks, held in Islamabad on April 11-12, ended inconclusively.

Since the US and Israel launched a war on Tehran on Feb. 28, more than 3,500 people, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Iran.

Tehran has hit US bases and assets in the Middle East and the Pentagon has confirmed 18 deaths besides 756 injuries to its personnel during the war.