ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN — Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Thursday for a second round of shuttle diplomacy between the United States and Iran, offering the most tangible sign yet that direct negotiations to end the Hormuz standoff may be within reach.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Washington, said the talks had made “genuine progress” and expressed cautious optimism that a framework could be reached before the end of the current negotiating window. The comments marked a notable shift from the bellicose rhetoric that followed the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in April.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations confirmed General Munir’s arrival in Tehran on May 22, meeting with Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. Islamabad has positioned itself as a neutral arbiter throughout the crisis, maintaining contacts with both Washington and Tehran following the strikes that temporarily disrupted oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
“This is not a guarantee of peace, but it is the most structured engagement we have seen between the two sides since the strikes began,” said a senior Western diplomatic official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Pakistan’s back-channel work has opened a door. The question is whether either side will walk through it.”
The April attack, carried out jointly by U.S. and Israeli forces, targeted enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow, setting back Iran’s nuclear programme by an estimated eighteen months according to Western intelligence assessments. Iran responded with missile strikes on U.S. bases in the Gulf and a temporary blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
International pressure to negotiate intensified after the International Monetary Fund warned of a possible 40 percent spike in global oil prices if the standoff persisted through the second half of 2026. Several Gulf states privately urged both sides to accept mediation, according to regional sources.
General Munir’s first visit to Tehran in April coincided with the most intense phase of the Hormuz disruption. Thursday’s trip follows a period of relative calm, during which Iran partially lifted its naval posture in the Gulf while talks remained informal.
Analysts caution that significant obstacles remain. Iran is expected to demand the removal of sanctions imposed since 2018 before agreeing to any new constraints on its nuclear programme. The United States has insisted on permanent physical restrictions, not temporary pauses. The gap between those positions remains wide.
The talks are being described as preliminary, with a formal session expected to convene in Doha next week under Qatari facilitation. General Munir is expected to travel to Doha before returning to Islamabad to brief Pakistan’s civilian leadership.
Oil markets responded cautiously to the news, with Brent crude rising less than one percent on Thursday before settling near $84 per barrel — well below the $120 peaks seen during the peak Hormuz tensions in April.
Neither the State Department nor Iran’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed a specific timeline for a final agreement. A joint statement from Islamabad described the talks as “frank, substantive, and conducted in a spirit of mutual respect.”
The White House said President Trump would receive a full briefing from his national security team upon General Munir’s return to Pakistan. The President reiterated on social media that he preferred a “deal over bombs” but would not hesitate to act again if Iran violated any agreement.