Lebanon army chief visits Pakistan amid widening Iran-US regional negotiations

Rodolphe Haykal, commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for high-level military talks with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, as regional diplomacy intensifies around ongoing Iran-US negotiations and the broader Middle East conflict.

Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal visits Pakistan for talks with Field Marshal Asim Munir as Islamabad emerges as a key mediator in Iran-US regional negotiations.

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According to a statement issued by the Lebanese military, Haykal traveled to Pakistan at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Sources familiar with the matter told AFP that the visit is closely linked to Pakistan’s growing diplomatic role in efforts aimed at easing tensions between the United States and Iran following months of regional conflict involving Israel, Hezbollah, and Tehran-backed groups.

The source said Lebanon has become a critical component of the wider negotiations due to Hezbollah’s continued confrontation with Israel and Iran’s insistence that Lebanon be included in any future regional agreement.

Pakistan has increasingly positioned itself as a quiet mediator between Washington and Tehran as international efforts continue to seek a broader ceasefire arrangement across the Middle East.

Lebanon was drawn deeper into the regional conflict after Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in March following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in a joint US-Israeli operation, according to regional reports. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and military operations across southern Lebanon, resulting in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction.

Despite an existing truce, cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have continued.

The diplomatic backdrop of Haykal’s visit also comes days after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun publicly criticized Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs during an interview with CNN.

“It’s not your country, it’s our country,” Aoun said, accusing Tehran of using Lebanon as leverage in negotiations with the United States.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s military said three Lebanese soldiers were killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon earlier on Saturday.

A separate conditional truce proposal announced this week in Washington reportedly calls for Hezbollah fighters to withdraw from areas near the Israeli border while the Lebanese army assumes greater control in designated zones.

However, Hezbollah has rejected the proposal, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory before any agreement can move forward.