Pakistan army chief Asim Munir on the way to Iran

Photo: Collected

News desk: Pakistan's influential army chief General Asim Munir is going to visit Tehran with a high-level security delegation amid the news that the draft of a possible historic agreement between the United States and Iran has been finalized. 

Pakistan's interior minister has been holding high-level closed-door meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran for the past three days. The sudden visit of the army chief to Tehran immediately after the home minister's visit has created a new equation in global politics. 

Diplomatic and military analysts are viewing the visit from two different perspectives. According to many, the last three days of civilian talks led by the home minister may not have reached any final decision, forcing the army chief himself to intervene to clear the complications. However, most military strategists and analysts disagree. They feel that the civilian-level talks have been so successful that the army chief's urgent visit to Tehran is to complete the formalities of signing a final security and peace agreement.

According to geo-political analysts, the visit of General Asim Munir is a very positive signal for the ongoing peace process. During his previous visit to Tehran, he had direct meetings not only with Iran's top political leadership, but also with the country's influential military officers. In particular, he has the unique ability to negotiate with top officials of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the country's defense forces. Using that experience, he is playing a successful role in convincing the Iranian military leadership of the immense strategic importance of this peace agreement in the Middle East and international arena.

When the countdown to the announcement of a comprehensive cease-fire and sanctions relief draft agreement between Washington and Tehran mediated by Pakistan is underway, the Pakistani army chief's visit to Tehran is seen by the international community as the final step in finalizing the agreement.