Pakistan’s Military Voices Cautious Optimism on Iran-U.S. Mediation

Pakistan’s military spokesman said on October 30 that the armed forces were cautiously optimistic about Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, gave the assessment in an interview in Rawalpindi on Friday. Chaudhry described the military as “cautiously optimistic.” He pointed to Field Marshal Asim Munir’s two visits to Tehran within a month as evidence of positive movement in the mediation effort. His comments presented the visits as a sign of progress in Pakistan’s diplomatic role, without announcing a completed agreement between Iran and the United States. The spokesman also discussed the possibility of admitting additional countries to the Makkah defense agreement. He said its terms did not bar new members. Asked about Iran, he said countries sharing a vision of regional peace could be welcomed, but any admission would require a decision by the political leadership of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Chaudhry said any additional deployment of Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia would depend on circumstances and decisions by the two countries’ political leaders. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to defend Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. On Yemen, he said Pakistan was not participating in the conflict, which he characterized as an internal Yemeni conflict.