Pakistan army cautiously optimistic on Iran mediation — SkimNews
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- Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Oct. 30 that the military was “cautiously optimistic” about its Iran-US mediation, citing Asim Munir’s two Tehran trips as evidence of “some positivity.”
- Asim Munir travelled to Tehran twice in October, most recently on Monday alongside Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
- Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Aug. 7, treats an attack on any signatory as an attack on all three.
- Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, asked whether Iran could join, said the pact does not bar new members and welcomed anyone sharing its collective-deterrence vision, while leaving admission to political leaders.
- Mohsen Rezaei said after Monday’s Tehran talks that regional security should be ensured by regional countries “without foreign intervention,” placing a sovereignty message alongside the mediation effort.
- Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to defend Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, said troop deployment depends on political decisions, and insisted it is not part of Yemen’s intra-Yemen conflict.
Why it matters: Pakistan now has more than a diplomatic role: the Aug. 7 Mecca pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey treats an attack on any signatory as an attack on all, embedding Pakistan in a collective-defence structure around the Iran conflict. At the same time, Iran’s “without foreign intervention” position puts a clear sovereignty condition on the regional response.
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