ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The United States must take the first steps towards de-escalation by fulfilling its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Iran conveyed to Pakistan on Monday, as the latter sought to revive the diplomatic process for ending the US-Iran conflict.
The message was conveyed during Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meetings in Tehran; with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Gen Mohsen Rezaei, as he sounded out Tehran on the possibility of reviving the June understanding.
“We are committed to implementing the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding. It is the United States that must adhere to its commitments based on the agreement,” Ghalibaf told Field Marshal Munir, according to an Iranian account of their meeting.
This sentiment was echoed by Gen Rezaei in his meeting with Field Marshal Munir, who was quoted by IRNA as saying: “We distrust America and it must change its behaviour”.
Field Marshal Munir said Pakistan would continue its efforts to help restore stability in the region, Press TV reported.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied the army chief during the one-day visit, which also included meetings with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“Comprehensive discussions focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and expedited termination of the conflict. The two sides also exchanged views on regional peace and the ways to arrive at a negotiated settlement to the disputes,” ISPR said.
The Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role and sincere efforts towards facilitating dialogue, de-escalation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the statement noted.
The field marshal’s visit comes as the two warring sides have returned to hostilities following the expiry of the 60-day armistice brokered under the Islamabad MoU.
Pakistan has, however, continued to regard the agreement as the available framework for a return to dialogue, while Iran has insisted that Washington must first address what Tehran considers breaches of the understanding.
The visit assumes added significance because Field Marshal Munir spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump last week, before travelling to Tehran. The contents of that conversation have not been made public, but the contact provided Islamabad with a direct channel to carry the US position to Tehran, while seeking to assess whether Iran was prepared to re-engage.
The army chief’s trip began just before Washington announced a fresh economic pressure campaign against Iran, with sanctions and restrictions on Iranian oil exports likely to form a major part of the new measures.
Tehran has warned that further US pressure would deepen the confrontation rather than create conditions for negotiations.
Ghalibaf described Washington’s approach as “hinder[ing] regional stability and further erod[ing] trust in Washington”.
“Americans know that no one buys their bombast, the United States is not in an economic position to further restrict its relations with other countries,” he said in a post on X after meeting Field Marshal Munir.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the impasse. Iran has been insisting that US first fulfil its commitments relating to the waterway, before it considers a wider reopening and a return to the next phase of negotiations.
Field Marshal Munir’s meeting with Gen Rezaei was particularly significant because the Iranian general has recently taken over as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, placing him at the centre of Tehran’s national security decision making at this critical stage in its confrontation with Washington.
During their conversation, Rezaei particularly emphasised Iran’s security interests in the Strait of Hormuz and the need for any settlement to address the military and economic pressures imposed on Tehran.
The issue of Strait of Hormuz is meanwhile being discussed in a separate diplomatic track in the shape of Iran-Oman talks on arrangements for navigation in the strait.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi is due in Tehran on Tuesday, adding to the diplomatic activity surrounding the strait at a time when Pakistan is seeking to regain its role in the wider US-Iran process.
