Iran denies Pakistani army chief carried threatening message
TEHRAN, Aug. 25 (YPA) – An informed Iranian source on Tuesday denied reports circulating in some media outlets that Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir carried a threatening message, explaining that he was seeking to open the way for negotiations and convey Tehran’s positions and conditions to the U.S. side.
In a news statement, the source told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that Iran’s positions and conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz had been communicated transparently through the Pakistani mediator.
It added that one of Iran’s main conditions was for the United States to return to the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” and fully implement its provisions, including Article Five.
Meanwhile, Iranian presidential aide for public relations Mehdi Tabatabaei said on Tuesday that, contrary to inaccurate media speculation, the Pakistani army chief’s visit to Iran had been highly productive.
Tabatabaei said Munir’s visit had achieved “very valuable diplomatic gains” whose results would become clear soon.
The Pakistani army chief arrived in Tehran on Monday accompanied by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. During the visit, he met with senior Iranian officials as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discuss regional developments.
As part of the visit, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, received the Pakistani army chief and reiterated Iran’s position on Iranian security management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Rezaei also stressed that Iran does not trust the United States, while calling for Washington to change its conduct and policies and take practical steps to implement the provisions of the memorandum of understanding.
For his part, the Pakistani army chief highlighted Pakistan’s extensive efforts to facilitate the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, according to Iranian state television.
The diplomatic efforts come as Oman-Iran talks on navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz have reached an advanced stage, amid continued regional contacts over maritime security and transit through the strategic waterway.
Iran previously stressed that reaching an agreement with Oman on navigation arrangements would not mean reopening the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that reopening it requires Washington to comply with the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
AA