Politics1 min read

Pakistan 'cautiously optimistic' on US-Iran talks, says Mecca pact open to new members

By · Via Middle East Eye · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry highlighted that repeated diplomatic visits to Tehran indicate positive momentum in ongoing mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir recently traveled to the Iranian capital alongside defense and intelligence leaders from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The military also clarified that the mutual defense agreement signed on August 7 does not prohibit countries like Iran from becoming members. Potential deployments of Pakistani troops to Saudi territory under the pact will ultimately depend on operational conditions and political directives.

Key points

  • Pakistani military leadership views frequent high-level visits to Tehran as a sign of pos…: Pakistani military leadership views frequent high-level visits to Tehran as a sign of positive momentum in negotiations.
  • The trilateral defense treaty between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey allows for the p…: The trilateral defense treaty between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey allows for the potential inclusion of additional countries.
  • Decisions regarding future Pakistani troop deployments to Saudi Arabia will rely entirely…: Decisions regarding future Pakistani troop deployments to Saudi Arabia will rely entirely on evolving security conditions and political leadership.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about its mediation between Iran and the United States, its spokesman said on Friday in his first interview since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week.

Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief mediator in efforts to de-escalate the US-Iran war, has visited Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.

“Why would the Field Marshal be going twice if it is not for some positivity? So yes, of course,” spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said when asked whether the trips were a positive sign. “The word that we would use is always cautiously optimistic.”

Speaking in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where Pakistan’s armed forces are headquartered, Chaudhry declined to say what was discussed or whether Washington had backed the trip.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a joint defence pact with Pakistan on August 7, under which an attack on any signatory would be treated as an attack on all.

Asked whether Iran could join, Chaudhry said the pact’s wording…

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