Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir

Force in Play

Completed Tehran visit; Pakistani sources confirm second-round US-Iran talks targeted for Monday April 21 in Islamabad, coinciding with ceasefire expiry

The 60-day window set by the June Islamabad memorandum expired the week of August 17 without an extension from either side. Hormuz traffic fell to single-digit daily crossings: as few as three vessels on some days, against about 120 before the war. Roughly 520 commercial ships sit stuck inside the Gulf, and Iran's oil exports through the strait have dropped 94%.

Updated Sep 4

Force in Play

Traveled to Tehran May 22 to meet Pezeshkian; traveled to Beijing with Sharif for Xi Jinping meeting May 25

The 60-day ceasefire window set by the June memorandum expired August 17 with no extension. A White House official called the talks 'static,' and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has not decided to resume negotiations with Washington. Trump responded by confirming a secret US backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and threatening to bomb Oman if it interferes with US efforts in the strait.

Updated Aug 17

Force in Play

Directing military pause during Eid ceasefire and China-mediated peace talks

Pakistan and Afghanistan are in their most intense military confrontation since the Taliban took power in 2021. On March 17, 2026, Pakistan struck a 2,000-bed hospital in Kabul, killing approximately 400 people and injuring nearly 250 — the conflict's deadliest single incident, according to Afghan officials.

Updated May 29

Force in Play

In office; leading counterinsurgency efforts

On May 24 and 25, 2026, the BLA struck Quetta on consecutive days, killing at least 53 people. A suicide car bomb detonated next to a passenger train; the following day, a car-park explosion hit the railway station.

Updated May 26

Force in Play

Architect of Pakistan's deeper military ties with Riyadh

Pakistan sent about 8,000 troops, 16 JF-17 fighter jets, two drone squadrons, and a Chinese HQ-9 air defense system to Saudi Arabia in early April. Reuters and Bloomberg confirmed the deployment on May 18. The forces arrived during active fighting; on April 8, Pakistan announced a ceasefire that both Washington and Tehran credited.

Updated May 19