Pakistani Field Marshal Munir arrives in Tehran to finalize US-Iran letter of intent

Pakistan's top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, landed in Tehran on Friday to push for a deal ending the war and launching broader negotiations, a Pakistani security source told Axios.

Munir was received by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni upon arrival, the Pakistani military said in a statement. The visit comes as mediators work to finalize a letter of intent that would include an agreement to end hostilities and set principles for 30 more days of negotiations on a broader deal, including Iran's nuclear program.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged limited progress on Friday. "There's been some slight progress. I don't want to exaggerate it, but there's been a little bit of movement, and that's good," Rubio said. He reiterated the core U.S. demand: "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. It just cannot." Rubio said any deal must address Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its enrichment policy going forward. He also stated that Iran must not be allowed to set up "tolls" in the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran reiterated its intention to establish such a system on Thursday.

Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey have all been involved in the mediation effort. Al Jazeera reported that Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also visiting Iran as part of Pakistan's mediation role. It has remained unclear whether Iran would be willing to sign such a document at a time when some in Tehran appear to believe the leverage is on their side.