RAWALPINDI – Pakistan is “cautiously optimistic” about its mediation role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said.
In an interview with Reuters, his first following Field Marshal Asim Munir’s two visits to Iran this month, the military spokesperson described the visits as positive.
Responding to a question about the purpose and outcome of the visits, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that if the trips had not been productive, the field marshal would not have travelled to Iran twice. He reiterated that Pakistan remained cautiously optimistic about the developments.
Without identifying any specific parties, the DG ISPR said powerful elements were still creating obstacles and undermining efforts, as they believed the ongoing conflict served their interests.
However, he declined to discuss the details of Pakistan’s discussions with Iran or the extent of US support for its mediation efforts.
Field Marshal Asim Munir recently visited Tehran alongside senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, where they held meetings with senior Iranian military officials and the country’s foreign minister.
The delegation included Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman and Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
Commenting on the possibility of Iran joining the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, the DG ISPR said the agreement’s wording did not prevent new members from joining.
He said any country sharing the pact’s vision of collective defence and regional peace could be welcomed.
However, he clarified that the final decision would rest with the political leadership of the three founding countries.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 this year. Under the agreement, an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three.
Following the recent meetings between the regional officials and Iranian representatives in Tehran, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said regional security should be ensured by countries in the region themselves, without external interference.
Asked whether Pakistan could deploy additional troops to Saudi Arabia under the defence agreement, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said any such decision would depend on the prevailing situation and the political leadership of both countries.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to defending Saudi Arabia, particularly the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
At the same time, he stressed that Pakistan was not a party to the conflict in Yemen, describing it as an internal conflict within the country.
