JD Vance Holds Near-Daily Talks with Pakistan's Asim Munir on Iran Diplomacy

US Vice President JD Vance has been holding near-daily discussions with Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as part of Washington's efforts to secure a new ceasefire and a potential nuclear agreement with Iran, Axios reported. The vice president has taken personal charge of behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts over the past two weeks, with Pakistan and Qatar playing central roles in attempts to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table.

According to the report, Vance has been speaking regularly with Munir and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani about the negotiations. The discussions have included the possibility of arranging a working-level technical meeting between US and Iranian officials in the coming days, though no such meeting has yet materialized.

Pakistan has already played a significant role in earlier diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. Vance previously led the US negotiating team at an April summit on Iran in Islamabad and was personally involved in negotiations that produced a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June. He later headed the American delegation during another round of direct negotiations with Iran in Switzerland, which ended with Iran committing to invite United Nations inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities. However, the agreement later collapsed after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on ships.

The involvement of the US vice president has elevated the diplomatic effort to the highest levels of the Trump administration. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner are also participating in the negotiations. Two weeks ago, Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, proposing the resumption of direct negotiations. Iranian officials reportedly viewed the letter as a positive development that could help restart diplomatic engagement.

President Donald Trump has allowed diplomatic efforts to continue, telling reporters on Friday that Washington was talking to Tehran. However, the US military remains prepared to resume strikes if Trump decides to abandon negotiations. Despite some progress, the report described the negotiations as slow.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed said on Friday that his country had been working with US administration officials who wanted to contain the situation and prevent further escalation. He added that discussions with the Trump administration continued after the US midterm elections, although diplomatic activity had slowed as Washington dealt with other issues. He maintained that the American administration remained interested in a diplomatic solution and that an agreement was still possible. Trump also discussed Qatar's mediation efforts with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Friday, with the Qatari emir emphasizing the importance of continued dialogue to prevent further regional escalation and protect maritime navigation and energy supplies.