Pakistani army chief Asim Munir flew to Tehran yesterday but seems to have been there only about half a day, long enough for the price of oil to drop about $5 on the London market. Apparently the messages he received from his Iranian interlocutors were short but sharp.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that all the problems in the region stem from the U.S.’s belligerent nature, stressing that Americans must lift threats and sanctions before any talks. Pezeshkian reviewed the Americans’ history of attacks on Iran.

Parliament speaker Mohamed Bagher Qalibaf told Munir that Iran has nothing to say beyond the seven conditions for re-opening talks it presented in New York in September. He emphasized that Washington’s long history of actions against Iran has pushed mutual distrust to its highest level.

* Secretary of Supreme National Security (SNSC) Major General Mohsen Rezaei told Munir on Tuesday evening that not even a particle of enriched uranium will exit Iran. He said Iran’s officials and people were united on the issue, adding that no negotiations with Washington would take place until the United States took steps to build trust. Rezaei emphasized that fulfilling Iran’s conditions would be the starting point for that process.

While Munir was in Tehran, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, speaking at the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. “Pakistan believes dialogue and diplomacy are the most effective means of resolving regional tensions,” he said, reported IRNA. He added that Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate engagement and de-escalate tensions in West Asia and the Persian Gulf reflected its commitment to constructive diplomacy.

Dar further noted that Pakistan would continue its mediation efforts between the United States and Iran and support all initiatives aimed at dialogue and the peaceful resolution of disputes to achieve lasting peace and stability. He stressed that Islamabad’s diplomatic strategy is based on the firm belief that regional challenges require multilateral solutions that are collective, cooperative, and sustainable.