Overview
- Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has visited Tehran twice this month and led a delegation that included Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, a visit described as a cautiously optimistic step toward de-escalation.
- Military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry declined to disclose what was discussed in Tehran or whether the United States backed the talks, saying details remain sensitive and for political leaders to decide.
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed on Aug. 7 does not bar new members and Pakistan said countries that share a vision of collective deterrence could be welcomed into the pact.
- Pakistan confirmed it is committed to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina but reiterated it will not take part in the Yemeni conflict, framing its role as protective rather than interventionist.
- On the domestic front the military warned of powerful spoilers who could undermine de-escalation and said intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations will increase, a posture shaped by recent moves against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.