US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for a private luncheon at the White House, rekindling Washington’s strategic interest in Islamabad—and more specifically, Rawalpindi—amid escalating tensions with Iran.
The meeting comes as the United States contemplates a possible military strike on Iran, a nation that shares a 1,000-kilometre border with Pakistan. Two American aircraft carriers—the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Harry S Truman—are currently stationed in the Arabian Sea, while B-2 stealth bombers are positioned at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, awaiting further instructions from President Trump.
Hours before the luncheon, the President addressed reporters about the possibility of military action. “I may do it, I may not do it—nobody knows what I'm going to do,” he said. Analysts believe that any sustained campaign against Iran would require some form of land-based logistical support—something Pakistan could potentially provide.
In a statement released by White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, the administration offered a diplomatic reason for the unusual military engagement. “President Trump will host Field Marshal Munir after he called for the President to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan,” the statement said.
Trump, in characteristically boastful form, told reporters, “Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan—I love Pakistan—I think Modi is a fantastic man, I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India... And I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side, Modi from the India side, and others. And they were going at it, they are both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.”
The claim has been consistently denied by both New Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including as recently as Wednesday morning.
Also read: Trump to meet Pak Army Chief Asim Munir for lunch
The meeting also served as a platform for mutual self-promotion. While President Trump continues to project himself as a global peacemaker in conflicts ranging from Ukraine to Gaza, Field Marshal Munir—recently elevated to Pakistan’s top military rank—has been enhancing his diplomatic footprint, meeting heads of state across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and now the United States.
In democratic traditions, such engagements are typically the domain of elected civilian leaders, not military generals. However, Pakistan has a history of military dominance in foreign policy, reinforced by past precedents under rulers such as General Zia-ul-Haq and General Pervez Musharraf—both of whom dined with American Presidents during their time in office.
During Zia’s regime, Pakistan became a key ally in countering Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Under Musharraf, Islamabad supported the US-led “war on terror”. Today, with Washington’s attention turning squarely to Iran, observers suggest that Rawalpindi’s strategic relevance may once again be entering a familiar orbit.
This alignment is being watched closely by other regional players, particularly China. Beijing has expressed strong support for the Iranian regime and views Pakistan as an “all-weather” strategic partner. Meanwhile, Islamabad refuses to recognise Israel and has, according to reports, threatened retaliation should Israel target Tehran with nuclear force.
The Trump-Munir meeting remained closed-door, with no official statement expected from either side immediately. However, its timing, location, and cast leave little doubt that deeper strategic calculations are under way.
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