ISPR DG points to 'positivity' in Iran-US mediation efforts, says Pakistan 'cautiously optimistic'

• Field Marshal's two Tehran visits this month signal "some positivity": ISPR DG.
• Saudi and Turkish officials joined Field Marshal in Tehran on Monday.
• Iran's Rezaei calls for regional security without foreign intervention.

Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about its efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States, its spokesman said on Friday in his first interview since a high-level regional delegation visited Tehran earlier this week.

Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is leading Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month-old conflict, has travelled to Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday with senior Saudi and Turkish officials.

“Why would the Field Marshal be going twice if it is not for some positivity? So yes, of course,” Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said when asked whether the visits were a positive sign.

“The word that we would use is always cautiously optimistic,” added the ISPR DG.

He said “powerful spoilers and detractors” still believed the conflict served their interests, without identifying them.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin accompanied Munir on his latest visit, during which the delegation met senior Iranian officials. 

Following the talks, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said regional security should be ensured by countries in the region without foreign intervention.

Rezaei described the discussions as positive and said the four countries believed closer cooperation could help resolve regional problems. He also expressed hope that the meeting would lead to practical steps towards stronger regional cooperation.

The diplomatic initiative comes as Pakistan seeks to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran after months of fighting that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February and widened into a broader regional conflict.

Islamabad brokered an April ceasefire that halted the initial phase of intense fighting, but efforts to secure a lasting settlement have since stalled. 

Pakistan has continued to urge both sides to return to negotiations, including through an Islamabad-brokered memorandum of understanding. In October, the Foreign Office said direct communication between Washington and Tehran had reflected progress in the mediation effort.

The latest initiative has brought regional powers into the diplomatic process. On October 26, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation on regional peace and security. 

Saudi Arabia subsequently called on the parties to engage constructively with the outcome of the Tehran meeting and pursue negotiations to prevent a return to military escalation.

The talks are taking place amid wider regional tensions, including concerns over maritime security and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. 

The involvement of Saudi Arabia and Turkiye alongside Pakistan reflects a broader effort by regional countries to contain the conflict and promote a diplomatic settlement.