Pakistan’s military chief is heading to Iran for talks as Islamabad pushes for dialogue between Tehran and Washington, while reaffirming its defence commitment to Saudi Arabia and strengthening security ties with Qatar.
Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, departed for Tehran on Tuesday, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported, citing a diplomatic source in Islamabad.
Munir was expected to hold talks with senior Iranian officials, although the meetings had not yet taken place at the time of reporting.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the visit would focus primarily on strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation, while also addressing negotiations with the U.S.
Pakistan has sought to mediate between Washington and Tehran since the conflict erupted in February. Previous discussions between Pakistani and Iranian leaders focused on preventing further escalation and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Islamabad would continue providing Saudi Arabia with whatever support it needed to defend itself.
In an interview with Independent Arabia aired on Sunday 18 October, Chaudhry described Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the security of Islam’s two holiest mosques as “non-negotiable”.
He said the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance, which brings together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, was strictly defensive.
Chaudhry added that collective deterrence measures were already in place and that Pakistan would take the necessary steps to safeguard the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity.
He also urged restraint and a negotiated settlement, warning that further escalation would do little to ease regional tensions.
Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to expand cooperation between their interior ministries, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry on Tuesday 20 October.
During talks in Doha, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, discussed internal security, regional developments and efforts to promote peace and stability, the ministry said.
The meeting followed Naqvi’s address to the Global Security Forum in Doha on Monday 19 October, where he highlighted joint Pakistani-Qatari efforts to encourage dialogue between Washington and Tehran.
Naqvi also praised Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, saying both countries had worked together to prevent further conflict and save lives.
Pakistan’s diplomatic push highlights its efforts to maintain ties with Iran while upholding its defence commitments to Saudi Arabia, as continuing tensions test relationships across the Middle East.
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