Pakistani army chief discussing ‘new’ proposals in Tehran to revive stalled US-Iran talks: Sources

Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is discussing “new” proposals with Iranian officials during his ongoing visit to Tehran to revive stalled direct talks following fresh contacts with the US, multiple Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Munir, who has been actively involved in the ongoing mediation process, arrived in Tehran earlier in the day along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and opened his trip with a meeting with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

The crucial trip comes after US President Donald Trump last week warned of economic consequences for Iranian trade partners as he seeks to isolate Tehran with new economic sanctions.

Munir’s latest visit is part of mediators’ renewed push to bring the two warring sides back to negotiations, as a 60-day deadline under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 17, to reach a final agreement expired last week, the sources added.

The new proposals, the sources said, focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving long-stalled direct talks between Washington and Tehran.

Pakistan, together with Qatar and other “regional partners,” has chalked out fresh proposals following the latest contacts with Washington, the sources added.

The sources did not divulge further details of the fresh proposals.

The sources confirmed “constant” consultation between Munir and Washington and Tehran as part of Islamabad’s efforts to break the longstanding deadlock.

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No hostilities despite expiry of 60-day deadline

Washington and Tehran, according to the sources, have already “tacitly” agreed not to launch new hostilities despite the expiry of the 60-day deadline, although the two sides publicly deny any agreement on an extension of the deadline.

According to the Pakistan army’s media wing, Munir will “focus on promoting efforts towards peaceful, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the conflict in the Middle East” during the visit.

On Sunday, Munir and top Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi, in a telephone call, discussed ways to restart the stalled talks as Tehran says it is committed to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Pakistan has remained the main mediator between Iran and the US throughout the war that began on Feb. 28 and has maintained close contact with both sides.

The US and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding on June 17 and launched negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

Between July 8 and July 24, the US and Iran exchanged military strikes, with Washington launching attacks on targets inside Iran and Tehran responding by striking US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

After securing a ceasefire on April 8, Pakistan hosted the highest-level direct talks between the US and Iran since they broke diplomatic ties in 1979. The talks, held in Islamabad on April 11-12, ended inconclusively.

Since the US and Israel launched a war on Tehran on Feb. 28, more than 3,500 people, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Iran.

Tehran has hit US bases and assets in the Middle East, and the Pentagon has confirmed 18 deaths and 756 injuries among its personnel during the war.

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