US Extends US-Iran Ceasefire After Pakistan Officials' Requests

Pakistan maintained channels with the US and Iran during and after the 12-Day War involving Israel, Iran, and the US. The US and Israel launched their offensive on Iran on February 28. Munir's global rise stems from a four-day conflict with India last year.

Armed men killed 26 tourists, most of them Hindu men, in Baisaran Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, while Islamabad denied involvement and called for an independent investigation. India and Pakistan went to war within two weeks of the Pahalgam attack, with the war lasting four days.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, striking targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan responded by downing multiple Indian jets, losses that New Delhi partially acknowledged. A ceasefire between India and Pakistan was reached on May 10 through backchannel diplomacy involving Washington.

Trump repeatedly claimed credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, saying so dozens of times. Pakistan thanked Trump for the ceasefire and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, while India denied Trump’s claims and insisted it resulted from bilateral communication with Pakistan.

Pakistan’s federal cabinet unanimously approved Munir’s promotion to field marshal on May 20, crediting his leadership during the war with India.

Munir became Pakistan's army chief in November 2022 and was elevated to field marshal after the four-day conflict with India. Munir is the second officer in Pakistan’s history to hold the rank of field marshal after Ayub Khan, and he retained his position as chief of army staff after the promotion.

An analyst said the conflict with India proved pivotal for Munir’s global rise, although its roots lay in domestic developments. “The May 2025 conflict with India was pivotal for Munir’s rise on the global stage. In an era of middle powers and great-power competition, everyone noticed.

Given the broader backsliding of democracy globally, nobody was particularly focused on civil-military imbalance in Pakistan,” he said. “They saw a powerful leader of a nuclear-armed, Muslim-majority swing state. There was serendipity to it too: when Pakistan demonstrated its capabilities against India, Trump was in power – a president who responds to strength – and the rules-based order was already showing cracks,” the analyst said.

Trump hosted Munir at the White House, the first time a US president had privately received a Pakistani military chief without the civilian leadership present. Trump described Munir as “a great fighter” and “a very important guy”, adding he was “honoured” to meet him.

Trump noted publicly that Pakistanis “know Iran very well, better than most”. Pakistan coordinated with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on operations. Islamabad also sought to broaden ties with Washington through offers linked to rare earth minerals and cryptocurrency cooperation.

Munir was in Washington, DC, in September alongside Sharif for meetings. At the October summit in Egypt, where a Gaza ceasefire was signed, Trump referred to Munir as “my favourite field marshal”.

Parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment in November 2025. It created the post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), held concurrently by the army chief. The amendment made the rank of field marshal permanent for life. It also reset Munir’s tenure.

Instead of retiring in November 2027, he began a five-year term as CDF, extending his service to at least November 2030, with the possibility of further extension. Removing the CDF requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority, whereas unseating an elected prime minister requires only a simple majority.

The bill passed the Senate in 16 minutes, amid protests from opposition lawmakers aligned with the jailed former PM, Khan.

Israeli warplanes struck a compound in Doha on September 9, 2025. Eight days later, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh, with Munir present alongside Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The pact commits each country to treat an attack on one as an attack on both.

It is the first such agreement Pakistan has signed, and Munir is seen as its driving force. In December, visiting Riyadh again, Munir received a medal – recognition, the citation said, of his efforts to advance bilateral relations.

Political riots and attacks on military installations occurred on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with protests targeting military sites. The military responded with widespread arrests and a years-long crackdown against the former PM and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, marking a decisive shift in the balance of power.