Asim Munir in Tehran: why Pakistan's army chief is visiting Iran today

Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, is due in Tehran today, Tuesday, October 20, according to a Pakistani official and Iranian media, as reported by Reuters and Arab News. It’s one of the most searched topics in Pakistan on Google today.

Why he’s going

The trip is part of Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the United States and Iran, a role Islamabad has played for much of this year.

Some background:

• In June, the US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a framework for talks towards a final agreement, The Express Tribune reports.
• Those talks later broke down over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Earlier in the summer, Munir held talks with Iranian leaders on preventing further escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the conflict sooner.

Iranian news agency Tasnim said this visit would also cover regional issues. Officials haven’t publicly said who he will meet.

Why now

Tensions are rising again:

• On Monday, a spokesman for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said seven major internet cables run under the Strait of Hormuz and warned that “new targets will be unveiled”.
• On Tuesday, the IRGC said it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. This hasn’t been independently verified.

Against that backdrop, Pakistan is one of the few countries that keeps close contact with both Tehran and Washington.

What this means for Pakistan

• Fuel prices: the Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of the world’s oil. Calm there helps keep petrol prices in Pakistan steady.
• Security: Pakistan shares a long border with Iran. A wider war next door would be a direct risk.
• Diplomacy: a successful mediation would strengthen Pakistan’s standing with both the US and the Gulf.

No outcome has been announced yet. We’ll update this story as details of the meetings come out.