Amid distrust, Tehran wants US to initiate de-escalation

Against the backdrop of distrust, Tehran wants US to initiate de-escalation.

Key points

• Baqir Sajjad Syed Published August 25, 2026 Updated August 25, 2026 07: 24am.
• According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied the army chief during the one-day visit.
• Baqir Sajjad Syed is the Foreign Affairs and National Security Correspondent for Dawn.
• The visit assumes continued significance as Field Marshal Munir spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump last week, before travelling to Tehran.
• This sentiment was echoed by Gen Rezaei in his session with Field Marshal Munir.

Baqir Sajjad Syed Published August 25, 2026 Updated August 25, 2026 07: 24am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

CDF Munir holds meetings with Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf and Rezaei Iranian leaders stress commitment to Islamabad MoU; say Washington's approach hindering regional stability, eroding trust in US Discussions focused on preventing further escalation, reopening of Hormuz, swift end to conflict, ISPR notes Oman FM due in Tehran today for next round of negotiations on Hormuz.

As the latter sought to revive the diplomatic process for ending the US-Iran conflict, ISLAMABAD: The United States must take the first steps towards de-escalation by fulfilling its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Iran conveyed to Pakistan on Monday.

As he sounded out Tehran on the possibility of reviving the June understanding, the message was conveyed during Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir's meetings in Tehran; with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Gen Mohsen Rezaei.

"We are committed to implementing the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding. It is the United States that must adhere to its commitments based on the agreement, " Ghalibaf informed Field Marshal Munir, according to an Iranian account of their gathering.

This sentiment was echoed by Gen Rezaei in his session with Field Marshal Munir. This person was quoted by IRNA as saying: "We distrust America and it must change its behaviour".

Field Marshal Munir remarked Pakistan would continue its efforts to assist restore stability in the region, Press TV documented.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied the army chief during the one-day visit. It additionally included meetings with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"Comprehensive discussions focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and expedited termination of the conflict. The two sides additionally exchanged views on regional peace and the ways to arrive at a negotiated settlement to the disputes, " ISPR stated.

Meanwhile, the Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan's constructive role and sincere efforts towards facilitating dialogue, de-escalation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the statement observed.

Notably, the field marshal's visit comes as the two warring sides have returned to hostilities after the expiry of the 60-day armistice brokered under the Islamabad MoU.

While Iran has insisted that Washington must first address what Tehran considers breaches of the understanding, pakistan has, nevertheless, continued to regard the agreement as the available framework for a return to dialogue.

In practice, the visit assumes continued significance as Field Marshal Munir spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump last week, before travelling to Tehran. While seeking to assess whether Iran was prepared to re-engage, the contents of that conversation have not been created public, but the contact provided Islamabad with a direct channel to carry the US position to Tehran.

Meanwhile, the army chief's trip began just before Washington confirmed a fresh economic pressure campaign against Iran, with sanctions and restrictions on Iranian oil exports probable to form a major part of the new measures.

Tehran has cautioned that further US pressure would deepen the confrontation rather than create conditions for negotiations.

Ghalibaf described Washington's approach as "hinder regional stability and further erod trust in Washington".

"Americans know that no one buys their bombast, the United States is not in an economic position to further restrict its relations with other countries, " he remarked in a post on X after gathering Field Marshal Munir.

Notably, the Strait of Hormuz remains central to the impasse. Iran has been insisting that US first fulfil its commitments relating to the waterway, before it considers a wider reopening and a return to the next phase of negotiations.

Field Marshal Munir's session with Gen Rezaei was particularly significant as the Iranian general has lately taken over as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, placing him at the centre of Tehran's national security decision making at this critical stage in its confrontation with Washington.

During their conversation, Rezaei particularly emphasised Iran's security interests in the Strait of Hormuz and the need for any settlement to address the military and economic pressures imposed on Tehran.

Meanwhile, the matter of Strait of Hormuz is meanwhile being discussed in a separate diplomatic track in the shape of Iran-Oman negotiations on arrangements for navigation in the strait.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi is due in Tehran on Tuesday, adding to the diplomatic activity surrounding the strait at a time when Pakistan is seeking to regain its role in the wider US-Iran process. Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026.

Baqir Sajjad Syed is the Foreign Affairs and National Security Correspondent for Dawn. His career of over 25 years spans print and broadcast journalism. He is a former UN Reham al-Farah Fellow and held a Pakistan Fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC. He tweets @baqirsajjad.

For now, amid distrust, Tehran wants US to initiate de remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.