Pakistan ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ on Iran-US Mediation, ISPR Chief Tells Reuters
Two Tehran trips in a month, a Saudi defence minister and a Turkish intelligence chief in the room — Pakistan’s military spokesman says the signs justify cautious optimism.
Highlights
- Pakistan is cautiously optimistic about its mediation between Iran and the United States, ISPR chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Reuters on Friday
- Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir has been to Tehran twice this month
- At the latest meeting Munir was joined by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin
- The ISPR chief declined to say what was discussed or whether the United States had backed the trip
- He said Pakistan was committed to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Makkah and Madina
Optimism, carefully worded
Pakistan is cautiously optimistic about its mediation between Iran and the United States, the military’s chief spokesperson said on Friday, after a high-level delegation consisting of officials from Makkah pact nations visited Tehran this week Dawn.
Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir has been to Tehran twice this month, and was joined by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin at the latest meeting Dawn. Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s logic, given to Reuters, was simple — he would not be visiting so often if not for some positivity Dawn.
What was not said
Speaking in Rawalpindi, Lt Gen Chaudhry declined to say what was discussed or whether the United States had backed the trip Dawn. That silence is standard for live mediation, but it means the “cautious optimism” rests on atmospherics — the frequency of the visits and the seniority of the participants — rather than any announced framework or agenda.
He also said Pakistan was committed to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Makkah and Madina Dawn — a reminder that Pakistan’s seat at this table rests on its security relationship with Riyadh as much as on its channels to Tehran.
Why it matters for Pakistan
A durable Iran-US de-escalation is worth more to Pakistan than to most mediators: its energy imports, its inflation path and its western border all move with Gulf tensions — the same oil shock that drove this week’s weekly inflation figures and Friday’s stock market fall. If the Makkah pact channel produces even a pause, Pakistan gains economically as well as diplomatically. Until something is announced, though, Friday’s briefing is best read as a signal of intent, not a result.
