Pakistan army ‘cautiously optimistic’ about US-Iran mediation efforts
Pakistan's military spokesman warns of 'powerful spoilers and detractors' who still believe the conflict serves them.
Pakistan says its army is “cautiously optimistic” about mediation between Iran and the United States as regional countries seek to revive a ceasefire in the eight-month-old war.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesman for Pakistan’s military, suggested on Friday that there were positive signs in attempts to de-escalate the conflict. His comments to the Reuters news agency were the first since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week.
Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief mediator, has been to Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday, alongside Saudi and Turkish officials.
Their two countries signed a joint defence pact with Pakistan on August 7, saying an attack on any signatory will be treated as an attack on all.