Pakistan army chief spoke to Trump on Iran war, FT reports

2026-03-23 - 19:50

Pakistan has positioned itself as a potential mediator in the Iran‐US‐Israel conflict, with army chief Gen. Asim Munir speaking directly to President Donald Trump on Sunday, the Financial Times reported. Citing two people briefed on the call, the newspaper said Islamabad is leveraging Munir’s ties to Tehran and his warm relationship with the Trump administration to broker an end to the hostilities that have engulfed the region since Feb. 28. Back‐channel diplomacy and summit venue Senior Pakistani officials have been relaying messages between Tehran and US special envoy Steve Witkoff as well as Jared Kushner, Trump’s son‐in‐law and adviser, the report added. As part of its mediation push, Pakistan has offered Islamabad as a possible venue for a summit between senior Trump administration officials and Iranian representatives. The diplomatic drive coincided with a phone call Monday between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which Sharif expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and called for collective efforts to reduce tensions. Coordinated diplomatic outreach Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Monday, with the two agreeing to remain in close contact. The flurry of contacts follows Trump’s announcement of a five‐day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, which he described as a result of “very good and productive” conversations with Tehran. Meanwhile, regional escalation continues: the US‐Israeli offensive has killed more than 1,340 people, including Iran’s then‐Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian authorities. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf nations hosting US military assets. Türkiye’s mediation role Ankara has long advocated for dialogue and de‐escalation in the Middle East, maintaining communication channels with all parties. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly called for restraint, warning that the expanding conflict threatens regional stability. While Pakistan’s mediation efforts add a new diplomatic dimension, Türkiye continues to engage with both Western allies and regional powers to prevent further escalation and mitigate the conflict’s impact on global energy markets and supply chains.