Iran tells Pakistan’s Asim Munir its demands must be met before US talks

Iranian officials told Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during meetings in Tehran on October 20 that talks with Washington would not resume until Tehran’s demands were met. Iran’s security chief also said enriched nuclear material would remain in the country, according to Iranian media cited by Reuters. The positions underscore the obstacles facing Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the US-Iran conflict.

President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed mediation efforts and regional developments with Munir, Reuters reported, citing Iran’s Nournews. Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied Munir to his meeting with Pezeshkian, according to Hindustan Times, which attributed the meeting account to Iranian state television.

Iran’s conditions for talks with Washington

Qalibaf cited what he described as US violations of an earlier ceasefire agreement, Hindustan Times reported. Reuters said an interim peace agreement reached in June unravelled after fighting resumed weeks later. The renewed fighting forms the backdrop to Iran’s insistence that its conditions be met before talks resume.

Iran’s position on enriched uranium

In a separate meeting with Munir, security chief Mohsen Rezaei said all enriched nuclear material would stay in Iran, according to Iranian media cited by Reuters. Hindustan Times, crediting AFP for the detail, quoted Rezaei describing the material as ‘a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people.’ Reuters said Rezaei was reiterating Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s position that near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad.

The issue remains a point of conflict with Washington. US Vice-President JD Vance said earlier in October that Iran must make a ‘meaningful’ reduction in its uranium-enrichment capacity to meet US demands, Reuters reported. Western governments have accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, citing in part its enrichment of uranium to 60%, a level higher than needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90% needed for weapons. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.