Pakistani general says Iran diplomacy still 'alive, despite US blockade, failed talks

The United States began enforcing a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime postulation Monday, sharply escalating tensions successful the Gulf conscionable hours aft high-level talks successful Pakistan betwixt Washington and Tehran collapsed without a deal.

The move, announced by President Donald Trump, came aft negotiations successful Islamabad ended without a breakthrough, contempt what participants described arsenic uncommon nonstop engagement betwixt the 2 sides.

But Lt. Gen. (ret.) Mohammed Saeed, erstwhile main of wide unit of the Pakistan Army, said successful an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital that the talks came acold person to occurrence than their result suggests — and argued that diplomacy is inactive wrong reach.

"Both sides are saying they were precise adjacent … adjacent inches distant from a solution," Saeed said. "They talked to each different successful a precise affable manner. There was, from some sides, an look of accommodation and knowing from each other. So, what you tin concisely accidental is that the engagement has capable imaginable to resume."

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The United States began enforcing a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime postulation April 13, 2026.  (Farooq NAEEM / AFP via Getty Images)

Speaking astatine the White House Monday, Trump defended the blockade, saying, "Right now, there’s nary fighting. Right now, we person a blockade … Iran is doing perfectly nary business, and we’re going to support it that mode precise easily."

He added that Iran’s subject capabilities had been importantly degraded, saying its "Navy has gone, their aerial unit is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, their radar is gone and their leaders are gone."

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, pressed Iran to judge a strict "zero enrichment" argumentation and region its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. 

"The elemental information is that we request to spot an affirmative committedness that they volition not question a atomic weapon, and they volition not question the tools that would alteration them to rapidly execute a atomic weapon," Vance said astatine a property league successful Islamabad.

Iranian leaders rejected those demands, insisting that immoderate statement indispensable see the contiguous merchandise of billions of dollars successful frozen assets.

Now, with the blockade successful place, Saeed suggested the determination whitethorn beryllium designed little arsenic a subject endgame and much arsenic leverage.

"This blockade could beryllium … a maneuver to physique further unit connected Iran to negotiate," helium said.

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Vice President JD Vance speaks during a quality league aft gathering with representatives from Pakistan and Iran successful Islamabad, Pakistan, connected April 12, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The escalation has raised concerns globally, peculiarly for countries babelike connected Gulf vigor flows, including Pakistan.

"Everyone successful the satellite indispensable beryllium disquieted astir what benignant of economical antagonistic spin-offs specified a blockade would have," Saeed said.

Saeed, who until precocious sat astatine the halfway of Pakistan’s subject leadership, framed the Islamabad talks arsenic a captious reopening of dialog aft decades of hostility.

"It is the archetypal clip successful 47 years … that determination was engagement astatine the highest level," helium said, calling it "a large infinitesimal for diplomacy" and a objection of Pakistan’s quality to support credibility with some Washington and Tehran.

He pointed successful peculiar to Pakistan’s service chief, Asim Munir, a fig who has drawn antithetic attraction successful Washington. 

Trump has publically praised Munir, astatine 1 constituent calling him his "favorite tract marshal," elevating his illustration arsenic a cardinal intermediary successful determination diplomacy.

Munir, who roseate done Pakistan’s quality ranks earlier becoming service chief, antecedently served arsenic manager wide of subject quality and aboriginal led the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). His vocation has been defined by heavy engagement successful determination information and quality coordination, including longstanding engagement with Iran.

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Security unit inspect vehicles entering the Foreign Ministry bureau successful Islamabad connected April 9, 2026. (Aamir QURESHI / AFP via Getty Images)

Those ties could beryllium captious successful the existent crisis, according to Saeed. 

"What radical bash not cognize is that erstwhile helium was manager wide of subject quality … helium was interacting with Iranians astatine aggregate levels continuously," Saeed said, describing years of nonstop engagement with Iran’s military, quality and governmental leadership, including erstwhile Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commandant Qassem Soleimani, who was killed successful a U.S. onslaught during Trump’s archetypal term.

"He has had enactment with them for a agelong clip … visiting Iran often and interacting connected aggregate issues," Saeed said, adding that galore existent Iranian officials would already beryllium acquainted with Munir from earlier roles.

That continuity, helium argued, gives Pakistan a uncommon vantage astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile ceremonial diplomatic channels are strained.

"What 1 tin accidental is that helium continues to beryllium 1 fig internationally who has a idiosyncratic enactment … successful the quality assemblage successful Iran successful the subject hierarchy and besides connected the broadside of the governmental leadership," Saeed said.

"So that’s a immense vantage helium has connected the different side."

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Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon their accomplishment astatine Nur Khan airbase successful Rawalpindi, Pakistan, connected April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)

For Pakistan, that idiosyncratic entree — combined with its simultaneous narration with Washington — has go cardinal to its effort to presumption itself arsenic a credible intermediary, adjacent arsenic the portion edges person to confrontation.

At the aforesaid time, Pakistan’s relation arsenic a mediator has drawn scrutiny, peculiarly fixed its longstanding presumption connected Israel and caller inflammatory remarks by elder officials.

When asked whether Pakistan tin beryllium seen arsenic a neutral broker portion not recognizing Israel — an histrion straight progressive successful strikes connected Iran — Saeed downplayed the issue, saying Israel was not portion of the diplomatic track.

"Pakistan’s presumption with respect to relations with Israel has been accordant since our independence," helium said, adding that Islamabad’s mediation efforts were focused solely connected Washington and Tehran.

"Neither of their representatives was connected the array … Pakistan was mediating betwixt the U.S. and Iran," helium said.

Despite the existent escalation, Saeed maintained that diplomatic channels stay open.

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Iranians respond aft a ceasefire announcement astatine the Enqelab square, successful Tehran, connected April 8, 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday hardly an hr earlier U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival state was acceptable to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the captious Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)

"There is simply a batch of abstraction … for resuming the process," helium said, suggesting talks could restart successful Islamabad oregon elsewhere if some sides displacement course.

"On Pakistan's side, from my idiosyncratic cognition of the tract marshal, they are relentless. They would not springiness up. They indispensable not person fixed up. They indispensable beryllium continuously successful interaction with some sides. And they would effort their champion to person some sides that the blockade is not going to beryllium successful their interest, successful the involvement of the portion and successful the involvement of the planetary community."