CDF Munir Meets Pezeshkian as Diplomatic Push to End Iran-US Conflict Continues
Pakistan intensifies mediation as Iran warns of retaliation against any US attack and Hormuz tensions escalate.
Pakistan intensifies diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations as Tehran warns of retaliation against any US strike; Qatar cautions that unchecked escalation could trigger a wider regional war.
TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD: (News Pulse) Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei during his visit to Tehran, as Pakistan stepped up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to Iranian media reports, Munir arrived in Tehran with a delegation of officials for meetings focused on diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict and discuss wider regional developments. His visit comes amid renewed tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route, and growing concerns about the possibility of a fresh military confrontation between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan has played a central mediating role during the conflict, maintaining contacts with both Washington and Tehran. The two countries signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June, establishing a framework for negotiations towards a final agreement. However, subsequent talks stalled over disagreements concerning security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Qatar has said negotiations between Iran and the United States remain ongoing despite deteriorating regional conditions. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said both sides continued to engage, while regional partners were working to keep diplomatic channels open.
Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Ansari warned that unchecked escalation could push the region towards a wider war. He stressed that a ceasefire should be viewed as a starting point for a political settlement rather than an end in itself, noting that an earlier ceasefire had broken down and fighting had resumed.
Ansari also called for efforts to de-escalate interconnected regional conflicts, including tensions involving Yemen. On Gaza, he expressed concern over the absence of a credible peace process and said the prospects for a political settlement remained bleak without a viable partner for peace.
Iran warns of retaliation against any US attack
Iran, meanwhile, has warned that any new US military attack would trigger a response, dismissing claims that Washington had conveyed a message expecting Tehran to refrain from retaliation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said at his weekly press conference that the suggestion that the United States could strike Iran without facing consequences was an illusion. He said Tehran would not leave any attack unanswered and warned that its response would be equal in force or stronger.
Baghaei also rejected reports suggesting that Iran had entered nuclear negotiations with Washington, saying no such talks had taken place. He dismissed speculation that Tehran had softened its position on the nuclear issue, insisting that Iran remained committed to protecting its national interests and security.
The spokesman said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Tehran was part of regular bilateral consultations covering regional and international developments, including the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Caucasus, Europe and the conflict in Ukraine. He added that Russia remained willing to contribute to efforts aimed at reducing tensions.
Baghaei said Iran would continue to pursue diplomatic opportunities despite its deep mistrust of Washington, arguing that diplomacy should not be abandoned if it offered even a limited chance of preventing further escalation.
Tankers reportedly hit by mines near Hormuz
Military tensions intensified further after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said two tankers had caught fire and been brought to a halt south of the Strait of Hormuz after striking Iranian mines. The statement, carried by Iranian state media, did not identify the vessels or specify when the incident occurred.
The Revolutionary Guards also claimed that Iranian forces had intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone over the strategic waterway. According to the Fars news agency, Iran said the aircraft was downed early Tuesday and described it as the 54th US MQ-9 drone destroyed by Iranian forces. These claims were attributed to Iranian sources and were not independently verified in the supplied reports.
The developments have heightened concerns about the security of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments traditionally passes.
Iran has also issued warnings concerning critical digital infrastructure in the region. Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said seven major undersea internet cables run beneath the Strait of Hormuz and warned that Iran could unveil new targets and weapons amid the confrontation.
Earlier, Mohsen Rezaei warned that undersea internet cables, data centres and artificial intelligence facilities linked to the United States could become targets if another war broke out. The statements have raised concerns that a wider conflict could extend beyond military installations and energy infrastructure to international communications networks.
Hormuz may lose strategic importance, says HSBC chief
The conflict has also prompted Gulf countries to consider alternative energy and logistics routes to reduce their dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.
HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery said investment in alternative infrastructure could make the waterway less strategically important within five years. Speaking at an HSBC Future Forum event in Dubai, he said Gulf states were directing resources towards energy pipelines and other routes connecting production centres to ports.
Elhedery said the region could recover and continue growing, but the conflict had underscored the economic risks associated with dependence on a single strategic maritime corridor.
The war has added uncertainty to the economic outlook for the Middle East and surrounding regions, even as investors continue to view the Gulf as an important destination for infrastructure development and long-term investment.
US defence chief meets Netanyahu
Separately, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, according to three Israeli officials cited in media reports.
The officials did not disclose details of the discussions. The Pentagon declined to comment, while Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hegseth said he had visited US service members in the area of responsibility of US Central Command, which covers the Middle East and parts of neighbouring regions. His visit came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz and escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The meeting also took place a day after US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election.
Iran-Germany diplomatic row deepens
Iran has also summoned German Ambassador Axel Dittmann to protest what Tehran described as repeated baseless accusations by German officials.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Alireza Yousefi, an Iranian assistant foreign minister responsible for Western Europe, conveyed Tehran’s formal protest over allegations involving Iran.
The diplomatic dispute followed Germany’s decision to summon Iran’s ambassador over alleged plots to assassinate pro-Israel figures. Berlin condemned the alleged activities, while Tehran rejected the accusations.
The exchange has added another layer of tension to Iran’s relations with Western governments as diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader regional confrontation continue.
Iran rejects OIC resolution on Yemen
Baghaei also criticised a resolution adopted at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers’ meeting in Baghdad expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia over attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
He said Iran had formally opposed the resolution and disputed its validity on procedural grounds. According to the spokesman, Tehran also objected to the inclusion of two paragraphs concerning Yemen in the meeting’s final declaration.
Baghaei maintained that the conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen could not be resolved through military force and called for dialogue and reconciliation. He also urged neighbouring countries to prevent foreign powers from using their territory or military facilities to threaten other states.
As diplomatic contacts continue, Pakistan’s engagement with Iran and other regional partners remains significant amid mounting concerns that further military action could widen the conflict, threaten global energy supplies and disrupt international trade.