Pakistan military chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran in push to end Iran war

Key points

• Pakistan’s powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday (May 22, 2026), with Islamabad mediating as the Islamic Republic examines a new U.S. proposal to end the West Asia war.
• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, said the visit did not necessarily mean “we have reached a turning point or a decisive situation”.
• The disagreements between Iran and the United States were “deep and extensive”, he added in quotes carried by Iran’s ISNA news agency.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier voiced hope of progress on ending the war, which broke out on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran.
• A ceasefire on April 8 halted the conflict, but negotiation efforts, including historic face to face talks hosted in Islamabad have so far failed to yield a lasting agreement.