Pakistan army ‘cautiously optimistic’ about US-Iran mediation efforts

Pakistan's military spokesman expressed cautious optimism about the country's mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, following a high-level delegation's visit to Tehran this week. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir has visited Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday, accompanied by Saudi and Turkish officials.

ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that the repeated visits were indicative of a positive sign. However, he emphasized that a cautious optimism was the most appropriate term to describe the situation. Chaudhry acknowledged the presence of powerful spoilers who believed conflict served their interests, but did not name them.

During a press conference in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry declined to disclose the topics discussed during the talks, nor whether the United States had endorsed the visit. The delegation included Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, marking the first high-level contact between Iran and members of the Makkah Defence Alliance since Saudi Arabia became more involved in the conflict.

The Makkah pact, signed on August 7, stipulates that an armed attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all. Chaudhry confirmed that Iran could potentially join the pact if it shared the collective deterrence and regional peace vision.

After the talks, Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, expressed the hope that regional security would be ensured by regional countries without foreign intervention. The pact, which does not explicitly forbid new members, was open to Iran's participation. Chaudhry stated that it was ultimately up to the political leadership of the three principal parties to decide.

Regarding the potential deployment of additional Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia under the agreement, Chaudhry indicated that it would depend on the prevailing situation and the decision of both countries' political leadership. He reiterated Pakistan's commitment to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Makkah and Madina.

However, he clarified that Pakistan was not involved in the Yemeni conflict, which was an intra-Yemen conflict. Lastly, Chaudhry addressed concerns about the potential expansion of military-led counter-terrorism campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the imposition of emergency and governor's rules. He emphasized that the Pakistani army conducted counter-terrorism operations based on intelligence-based operations (IBOs), and the tempo of these operations would increase.