{"id":21748,"date":"2026-05-23T12:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T07:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=21748"},"modified":"2026-05-23T12:29:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T07:29:19","slug":"big-guns-descend-on-tehran-as-talks-enter-decisive-phase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=21748","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Big guns\u2019 descend on Tehran as talks enter decisive phase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Rubio says US in constant contact with Field Marshal Munir as the latter arrives in Iran<br>\u2022 Notes \u2018some progress\u2019 made but insists more work needed<br>\u2022 US considers \u2018Plan B\u2019 with willing Nato countries over Hormuz<br>\u2022 Iran rules out deal if US demands handover of enriched uranium<br>\u2022 Qatar joins mediation push in coordination with US<br>\u2022 UAE says Iran\u2019s N-programme now top concern<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ISLAMABAD: Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir reached Tehran on Friday as efforts to broker an interim understanding between the United States and Iran entered a decisive phase amid cautious hopes that a fragile ceasefire around the Persian Gulf could be stabilised before tensions spiral again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The visit came at a time when negotiations appeared to have moved beyond political signalling into detailed bargaining over a narrow interim framework dealing with the Strait of Hormuz, Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and guarantees against renewed military action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Field Marshal Munir had travelled to Tehran \u201cas part of ongoing mediation efforts\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn arrival, he was received and warmly welcomed by Iranian Minister for Interior Eskandar Momeni. Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi was also present at the reception,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr Naqvi had&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2002129\/us-hopeful-as-islamabad-tries-to-prevail-on-tehran\">remained in Tehran&nbsp;<\/a>after earlier consultations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Momeni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diplomatic sources said Field Marshal Munir\u2019s presence indicated movement from exploratory diplomacy towards strategic-level bargaining focused on escalation control, maritime security and possible guarantees linked to a phased arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mediation process around Tehran has widened over the past 48 hours. Qatar also dispatched a negotiating team to the Iranian capital in coordination with the United States, while Saudi Interior Minister Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Saud spoke to Mr Naqvi in Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Iranian diplomat in China also praised Beijing for presenting a peace initiative during the war \u201cwith the support of Pakistan\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regional diplomats also pointed to signs of softer Emirati messaging in favour of de-escalation and uninterrupted maritime trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pakistan is also expected to remain in close touch with China, which analysts believe prefers indirect involvement through Islamabad rather than overt mediation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2018Primary interlocutor\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised Pakistan\u2019s mediation role, describing it as Washington\u2019s \u201cprimary interlocutor\u201d in the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan and continues to be, and they\u2019ve done an admirable job,\u201d&nbsp;<em>Fox News<\/em>&nbsp;quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also referred to Field Marshal Asim Munir\u2019s Tehran visit, saying Washington was in \u201cconstant communication\u201d with him at the highest levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re in constant communication with him, and the highest levels of our government are constantly talking to him,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diplomats said the evolving process increasingly resembled a phased stabilisation effort rather than negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current discussions are believed to revolve around an interim arrangement involving a formal ceasefire extension, phased sanctions relief, freedom of navigation guarantees in the Strait of Hormuz and a structured timeline for follow-on negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hardest disputes, however, remain unresolved. Washington is pressing for immediate movement on Iran\u2019s highly enriched uranium stockpile and wider nuclear restrictions, while Tehran is seeking a trust-building period before entering binding commitments. Iran, however, insisted that the uranium issue remained a major obstacle. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said any demand for Tehran to hand over its highly enriched uranium to the United States was a \u201cnon-starter\u201d,&nbsp;<em>Al Jazeera<\/em>&nbsp;reported, citing&nbsp;<em>IRNA<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe cannot necessarily say that we have reached a point where an agreement is close,\u201d he said, adding that gaps between Tehran and Washington remained \u201cdeep and significant\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Baghaei said the focus of the current negotiations was ending the war and that nuclear details were not being discussed at this stage. He also confirmed that a Qatari delegation was holding talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while Pakistan remained the main mediator in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military signalling has continued alongside diplomacy. Regional security monitors repor\u00adted ongoing US aerial refuelling operations near Saudi and Emirati airspace, indicating that Washington was maintaining visible operational readiness even as negotiations accelerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Islamic Revolu\u00adtionary Guard Corps commander said Iran\u2019s armed forces were \u201cmore prepared than ever before\u201d and warned that if \u201cthe enemy makes a mistake\u201d, Iran would respond \u201cmore forcefully and decisively than before\u201d, Tasnim reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian officials have also continued to stress the need for guarantees against renewed attacks, pointing to deep mistrust despite active diplomatic engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another indication that Tehran was resuming the dialogue process, Iranian parliamentary speaker Bagher Ghalibaf was reappointed head of the negotiating team, while Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei was named spokesman for the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diplomatic sources said the overall picture suggested that while procedural gaps had narrowed considerably, strategic distrust between Tehran and Washington remained deep. \u201cThere is momentum and serious engagement,\u201d one regional diplomat said. \u201cBut this is still crisis management under pressure, not reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rubio earlier said there had been \u201csome progress\u201d in negotiations with Iran but added that \u201cmore work\u201d was needed. He reiterated Washi\u00adngton\u2019s priorities, including preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear wea\u00adpon, addressing its highly enriched uranium stockpile and settling the issue of future enrichment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019d all love to see an agreement with Iran and wish the straits are open and they abandon their nuclear ambitions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reopening of Hormuz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rubio also discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and raised the issue during a Nato-affiliated meeting in Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Washington preferred an agreement with Tehran but warned that a \u201cPlan B\u201d could involve Nato countries willing to contribute if Iran refused to reopen the waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t know if that\u2019ll be a Nato mission necessarily, but it will certainly be Nato countries that can contribute to it,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the European Union moved to expand its sanctions framework to target those it says have facilitated Iran in \u201cthreatening the freedom of navigation in the Middle East\u201d,&nbsp;<em>Al Jazeera<\/em>&nbsp;reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe EU will now be able to introduce further restrictive measures in response to Iran\u2019s actions undermining the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d the European Council said, adding that the measures could include travel restrictions and asset freezes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">US Central Command said American forces had redirected 97 commercial vessels and disabled four since the start of a blockade against Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A senior UAE official said the chances of a US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were \u201c50-50\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash urged Tehran not to overplay its hand during the fragile ceasefire, saying Iranian officials had \u201cmissed a lot of chances over the years because there\u2019s a tendency to overestimate their cards\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope they don\u2019t do that this time,\u201d he told the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague. Gargash said the Strait of Hormuz, which carried around a fifth of global oil production before the disruptions, must return to normal and remain an international waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNegotiations just to reach a ceasefire and sow the seeds for further conflict in the future is not what we\u2019re seeking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that Iran\u2019s nuclear programme had become the UAE\u2019s top concern. \u201cThe Iranian nuclear programme was our second or third worry, now it\u2019s our first worry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>With additional input from Agencies<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2022 Rubio says US in constant contact with Field Marshal Munir as the latter arrives in Iran\u2022 Notes \u2018some progress\u2019 made but insists more work needed\u2022 US considers \u2018Plan B\u2019 with willing Nato countries over Hormuz\u2022 Iran rules out deal if US demands handover of enriched uranium\u2022 Qatar joins mediation push in coordination with US\u2022 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440","service":"facebook","timestamp":1779521531,"status":"success"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21750,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21748\/revisions\/21750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}