US Vice President JD Vance has held almost-daily discussions with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, over the past two weeks as Washington pursues a ceasefire and a possible nuclear deal with Iran. Axios reported the contacts on Saturday. The Vance Munir Iran contact puts Pakistan at the centre of the latest diplomatic effort.
Vance has personally taken charge of the behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Pakistan and Qatar are playing central roles in the attempt to bring Washington and Tehran back to negotiations.
The Vance Munir Iran contact has run alongside regular talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The discussions have included a possible working-level technical meeting between US and Iranian officials in the coming days. None has taken place yet.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner are also taking part in the negotiations.
Two weeks ago, Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, proposing a resumption of direct negotiations. Iranian officials reportedly viewed it as a positive step that could help restart diplomatic engagement.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington was talking to Tehran. At the same time, the US military remains ready to resume strikes if Trump decides to abandon the talks.
The diplomacy is running alongside live military tension. On Friday, the US military struck an anti-aircraft missile launcher on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The launcher had allegedly fired a missile towards an American fighter jet. Trump confirmed the strike.
Vance Munir Iran contact: Pakistan’s earlier role
Pakistan has already played a large part in earlier diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. Vance led the US negotiating team at an April summit on Iran in Islamabad. He was personally involved in the talks that produced a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June.
He then headed the American delegation during another round of direct negotiations with Iran in Switzerland. Those talks ended with Iran committing to invite United Nations inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities. The agreement later collapsed after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on ships.
Vance now holds the vice presidency, and his direct line to Munir gives the effort a channel at the highest level on both sides.
Trump is weighing his next move on Iran after the midterm elections, and Vance has also been building his own political brand since the Republican midterm rout. The midterm results produced historic firsts across the United States, and the new Congress will shape how far the administration can go.
What happens next for the Iran talks
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed said on Friday that his country had been working with officials in the US administration 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. His remarks suggest the door to talks stays open even as the military option stays on the table.
Trump also discussed Qatar’s mediation efforts with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Friday. The Qatari emir stressed the importance of continued dialogue to prevent further regional escalation and to protect maritime navigation and energy supplies.
For Pakistan, the stakes are direct: a deal would ease pressure on a neighbour and on the region’s shipping lanes. A return to strikes would do the opposite, and it would put Islamabad’s balancing act between Washington and Tehran under fresh strain.
The coming days will show whether the technical meeting takes place. If it does, it would be the first concrete step from weeks of quiet calls towards formal talks. Experts say a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites would pose little radiation risk to Pakistan, with one Gulf-coast plant as the exception.
Frequently asked questions
How often have Vance and Munir spoken about Iran?
Axios reported that the two men have held almost-daily discussions over the past two weeks as Washington pursues a ceasefire and a possible nuclear deal with Iran.
Who else is involved in the negotiations?
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani is in regular contact with Vance. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner are also taking part.
What did Vance propose to Iran?
Two weeks ago, Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, proposing a resumption of direct negotiations. Iranian officials reportedly viewed the letter positively.
Has a US-Iran meeting been arranged?
The talks have included a possible working-level technical meeting in the coming days, but no such meeting has taken place yet.
