Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to visit Tehran on Monday to continue efforts for regional peace and security, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Sunday.
In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted Baqaei as saying CDF Munir would lead an official delegation. The “visit aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Iran and Pakistan and to continue Pakistan’s good offices in support of peace and security in the region,” it added.
During his visit, the Army chief would meet and hold talks with senior Iranian officials.
The visit comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, with the former threatening a military response to the latter’s plans for economic sanctions. Last week, U.S. officials warned the planned sanctions would be the “toughest” in history.
The peace deal inked between Iran and the United States is effectively sidelined, with oil shipments through the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane at a standstill. Tehran has threatened to strike any unauthorized oil tankers that try to transit the waterway.
The field marshal’s visit to Iran appears a continuation of Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28. Islamabad’s efforts resulted in a ceasefire on April 8, eventually leading to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 17. However, the MoU failed to ensure a halt to hostilities between the two sides and both CDF Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have made multiple visits to Iran in recent months in a bid to revive the ceasefire.