Pakistan’s army chief meets Iran speaker amid mediation push

Pakistan’s army chief met Iran’s parliament speaker Thursday, Iranian state television reported, as Islamabad continues mediation efforts linked to talks involving the United States and Israel. "Field Marshal Asim Munir, Commander of the Pakistan Army, who travelled to our country yesterday, met and held talks with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf... this Thursday morning, April 16," the report said. Iranian state television said the chief of Pakistan’s armed forces visited Iran to meet the head of Tehran’s negotiators as Washington considers another round of peace talks in Islamabad. > Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/ZPBcdMrvm9 > — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 16, 2026 The broadcaster showed Munir meeting Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Iran’s delegation at the first U.S.-Iran meeting in Pakistan last week, which ended without a deal. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said no date had been set for the next round of talks. “Our role as a mediator and facilitator did not stop when the Islamabad talks, this last round, concluded — it continued,” he said. Meanwhile, in Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said further talks “would very likely” be held in the Pakistani capital, adding, “We feel good about the prospects of a deal.” > View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nukta Pakistan (@nukta.pakistan) > U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran was being offered a “grand bargain” to end the six-week war with Israel and the United States and address the decades-old dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri that a ceasefire in Lebanon was “as important” as in Iran, according to a statement on Telegram. He said Tehran was striving for a permanent ceasefire “in all the conflict zones.” Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach has also included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s four-day visit, including a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the United States had “identical” goals, including removal of enriched material from Iran and elimination of enrichment capability. Netanyahu also referenced the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil flows, saying it remained central to the conflict. Iran has restricted shipping since the offensive began, according to officials cited in the report. The U.S. Central Command said it had “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” claiming 10 vessels were turned back in the first 48 hours of a blockade and “zero ships have broken through.” Maritime tracking data and Iran’s Tasnim news agency offered a less clear picture, with Tasnim reporting continued shipping from southern Iran. Iranian military officials warned that failure to lift the blockade would violate a ceasefire struck April 8, while threatening to block exports and imports in key waterways if pressure continues. Iranian adviser Mohsen Rezaei warned that Iranian forces could target U.S. ships if Washington moves to police the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “These ships of yours will be sunk by our first missiles.” On the nuclear issue, U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted any agreement must permanently bar Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Washington has reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, while Tehran has proposed a five-year suspension, which U.S. officials rejected. Iran maintains its program is civilian and says its right to enrich uranium is “indisputable,” though levels are negotiable. Separately, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to open direct negotiations after their first high-level face-to-face meeting since 1993 took place in Washington earlier this week, officials said. Israeli minister Gila Gamliel confirmed talks, while Lebanon’s president did not confirm a scheduled call, stressing the importance of a ceasefire as a starting point. Optimism over a possible accord pushed global markets higher, with U.S. stock indices closing at record highs and crude oil prices falling.