Key facts
- Pakistan military "cautiously optimistic" on Iran-US mediation.
- Army chief Asim Munir visited Tehran twice this month, most recently with Saudi and Turkish officials.
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey is seen as key to managing fallout from the Iran-US confrontation.
- Pakistan's government suspended the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11.
- Counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will increase in tempo, according to the military spokesman.
Pakistan’s military is "cautiously optimistic" about its mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's chief mediator in efforts to de-escalate the Iran war, has visited Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday with Saudi and Turkish officials.
Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, described the trips as a positive sign, though he acknowledged the presence of "powerful spoilers and detractors." He declined to provide details of the discussions or confirm US backing for the trip.
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin accompanied Munir to Tehran. The three nations are signatories to the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, which treats an attack on one as an attack on all. Analysts see the pact's evolution as tied to regional efforts to manage the fallout from the Iran-US confrontation.
On the domestic front, the federal government suspended the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, citing its alleged failure to tackle militancy. Chaudhry stated that counter-terrorism operations in the province would increase in tempo.