Pakistan’s army chief arrives in Tehran for talks

Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir (right) met Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (left) in Islamabad, Pakistan. (EPA Images pic) TEHRAN: Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose country has attempted to mediate a peace deal in the Middle East war, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, Iranian state television reported.

"General Asim Munir, the Commander of the Pakistani Army, arrived in Tehran along with a delegation of officials from his country," state television said in a statement.

Earlier, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, confirmed the visit during his weekly press conference, saying talks would "relate to issues concerning the negotiations, but they are mainly focused on bilateral relations and strengthening interactions and cooperation".

The visit comes with diplomatic efforts between Iran and the US stalled over issues including the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was responsible for insecurity in the strait, usually a key transport route for oil and gas but which Iran has sought to blockade during the war launched by the US and Israel in February.

Pakistan has played a key mediating role in the so far unsuccessful attempts to end the war.

In June, it helped broker a short-lived memorandum of understanding, which Tehran insists should still form the basis of any peace deal.

The trip is the fifth by Munir since the June agreement.

The US has not launched strikes on Iran since September, but the possibility of a return to fighting looms over the country.

"We live with this possibility day and night, and we cannot rule it out, even as we speak," Baghaei told reporters on Tuesday.

Munir's visit follows one by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.