Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, born 1968, is Pakistan’s top military officer, serving as CDF and COAS concurrently.
President Donald Trump has told Axios the US is "low-keying" its approach to the war with Iran and is applying economic pressure through a naval blockade rather than new large-scale strikes. Mediators including Oman and Qatar are moving talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran denies direct US negotiations and shipping attacks continue to threaten the waterway.
The US president has praised Pakistan’s prime minister and army chief for helping secure a fragile April ceasefire between Iran and the US and is not reconsidering Pakistan as a mediator. Washington remains engaged in talks with Iran, while Tehran’s latest peace offer is deemed unacceptable.
Across South Asia, diplomacy is resurfacing after a period of military and political brinkmanship. Analysts say informal tracks are being explored while both sides rehearse limits on escalation amid a broader regional realignment.
The war surrounding Iran continues with US-Iran talks in Qatar and Pakistani mediation intensifying efforts to end the conflict. Iran’s negotiators have met with Gulf allies while Washington has carried out self-defence strikes in southern Iran. A potential memorandum of understanding aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and freeze certain sanctions while negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program proceed.
The Cockroach Janta Party has risen from a satirical Instagram account to a mass youth movement with more than 22 million followers and has organised street protests in New Delhi demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign after repeated exam paper leaks and marking errors that have disrupted millions of students’ careers.
Israel has launched new ground operations in Lebanon outside the yellow line, with strikes across Lebanon’s south and Bekaa. Lebanon reports thousands killed and tens of thousands wounded since March. Iran’s top negotiator has returned to Tehran amid mediation efforts with the United States, while US forces have attacked Iranian missile-launch sites in the region. President Trump calls for regional powers to join a broader Abraham Accords framework.
The United States and Iran have described a framework to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and dispose of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Negotiations are unfolding in stages, with a 60-day window for finalizing remaining nuclear terms, while broader issues are staged for later rounds.
US President Donald Trump says negotiations with Iran are largely negotiated and that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened, with details to be announced soon. Iran cautions that gaps remain and emphasizes that a 14-point framework is being drafted; negotiations involve multiple Middle East states and Israel.
Pakistan and Lebanon are expanding defense cooperation as both countries discuss regional security and the evolving Middle East conflict. The talks, held in Rawalpindi, focus on training, professional exchanges, and stronger military links, with Lebanon’s army chief acknowledging Pakistan’s forces’ operational excellence.
A Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter crashed on takeoff near Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing 22 military personnel including officers. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact technical cause as protests and security operations unfold in the region.
Leaders at the Evian summit are pushing to finalise a framework with Iran as US President Trump attends talks. Attendees include Modi, Zelensky and Sisi, while South Africa was disinvited over Gaza policy.
President Donald Trump has signaled he is open to sharing the U.S.-Iran memorandum with Congress for review as talks on extending a ceasefire and negotiating Tehran’s nuclear program move forward. A signing ceremony is planned in Geneva, with ongoing negotiations to resolve remaining details.
Iran, the United States and Pakistan are pursuing a roadmap to end the Iran-US war cycle. Islamabad hosts Iran’s president for talks, as partners including Qatar and the UAE seek to anchor a 60-day plan toward a final deal. Economic and regional gains are being weighed against structural reform needs in Pakistan.
Mourners are gathering in Tehran for the state funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has organised a week of public ceremonies across cities and in neighboring Iraq, as the regime frames the event as a referendum on its rule while warning against external interference.
The Oversight Project has released roughly three hours of audio and 117 pages of heavily redacted transcripts of Joe Biden’s 2016–17 interviews with his ghostwriter for Promise Me, Dad. The recordings, obtained during Special Counsel Robert Hur’s documents probe, show Biden discussing retained notes and at times struggling with dates and details; Republicans say the tapes prove decline, Biden calls the release political.
Protests linked to the JAAC have escalated as elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir proceed in three phases amid a nationwide crackdown. Officials report clashes and casualties, while JAAC demands political reform and abolition of reserved refugee seats. International observers call for access and transparency as media restrictions intensify.
CENTCOM has asked military analysts for new ideas to pressure and punish Iran, a move described as highly unusual by officials. The Pentagon is weighing options beyond conventional warfare as Trump shifts between threats, attacks and diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz. New intelligence assessments question the effectiveness of current bombing campaigns.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, pledging that an armed attack on any member will be treated as an attack on all. Leaders attended the signing in Mecca. Officials say the pact is defensive, open to other states, and builds on Saudi–Pakistan ties as regional fighting continues.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, promising mutual defense if any is attacked. The pact aims to deter regional threats, coordination falls short on concrete action, and it builds on existing defence ties amid rising regional tensions.