TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to Iran centred on efforts to ease regional tensions, end the military standoff and revive dialogue, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said, while rejecting claims that he travelled to Tehran as an emissary of the United States.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Munir’s visit took place “entirely in the context and background of Pakistan’s role as a mediator”. He dismissed as “misleading and factually incorrect” reports that the army chief had gone to Iran as an envoy of US President Donald Trump or Washington.

Munir, accompanied by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, held extensive discussions with Iranian leaders on Monday on preventing further escalation in West Asia and reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

According to Andrabi, the talks focused on reducing regional tensions, ending the military standoff and finding a negotiated path towards restoring peace and stability. He said the visit demonstrated Pakistan’s “sincere and constructive role” in efforts to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran.

The spokesperson said Iran’s leadership had appreciated Islamabad’s efforts to reduce tensions and pursue a peaceful resolution. He added that Pakistan would continue supporting efforts to restart peace negotiations and work towards a “comprehensive, just and lasting” settlement.

Islamabad has sought to position itself as a mediator in the stalled US-Iran peace process. The conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, prompting Iranian retaliation. The fighting disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to higher petroleum prices.

A ceasefire was announced in April, but the peace process subsequently broke down. A Pakistan-backed interim peace arrangement was also disrupted in July after military action resumed between the United States and Iran amid renewed tensions in West Asia.

Munir and Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Mohsen Rezaei, the Supreme Leader’s representative to the Supreme National Security Council, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni during their Tehran visit.

Pakistan Defends Iran Trade

On economic ties with Iran, Andrabi said Pakistan was complying with bilateral trade agreements and maintaining trade with Tehran in line with its international obligations and international law.

He reiterated Pakistan’s opposition to unilateral sanctions imposed outside the United Nations framework, adding that Islamabad hoped economic issues would form part of any comprehensive settlement of the US-Iran standoff.

Islamabad Rejects Kirana Hills Claim

The Foreign Office also rejected comments by former Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan concerning the Kirana Hills near Sargodha during the May 2025 India-Pakistan military conflict.

Andrabi said Pakistan “categorically” rejected the claims and maintained that no strategic asset or sensitive infrastructure in the country had been damaged during the 2025 conflict.

India had launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025 against nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), following the 22 April Pahalgam terrorist attack. India said more than 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes.

Indian attacks during the subsequent military confrontation also targeted an airbase at Sargodha. Reports had linked the facility to an underground nuclear storage installation in the Kirana Hills.

Speaking at a New Delhi event titled ‘Operation Sindoor and After’ on Tuesday, Chauhan said Indian forces had not specifically targeted the Kirana Hills. He said a large number of loitering munitions had been directed towards Sargodha and that one may have lost operational capability before coming down and striking a hill.

Pakistan Seeks Action From Kabul

On Afghanistan, Andrabi said Pakistan remained willing to engage in dialogue with Kabul, but stressed that any mechanism would succeed only through “concrete action rather than assurances alone”.

He called on the Afghan authorities to honour their international commitments and prevent Afghan territory from being used by militant organisations, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), against Pakistan.

The spokesperson also said Pakistan would assume the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) chairmanship for one year following the Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the summit, while Islamabad is scheduled to host the SCO summit next year.