in the realm of international diplomacy, each official visit by a state figure carries profound political significance. when Pakistan’s chief of army staff general Syed Asim Munir made his high-profile visit to the united states in 2025, it sent ripples across South Asia and the broader geopolitical landscape. while the visit was officially described as part of ongoing military-to-military engagements and bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the united states, critics and observers particularly those aligned with Iran’s strategic perspective have interpreted it as a diplomatic betrayal. the nature of this visit, its strategic timing, and the deeply interwoven regional politics have sparked a heated debate over whether Pakistan, under its current military leadership, is pivoting further towards Washington at the expense of Tehran’s trust and regional interests.
The optics of general Asim Munir’s visit to Washington were unmistakably symbolic. From meetings with senior pentagon officials and Central Intelligence Agency representatives to closed-door discussions with state department figures, the visit carried an aura of strategic recalibration. it was not the first time a Pakistani army chief visited Washington, but this particular trip came at a time when tensions in the middle east were mounting particularly due to United States -Israel alignment, deteriorating United States -Iran relations, and the intensifying sanctions against tehran. in such a climate, any overt demonstration of closeness between a powerful Islamic military leader and American defence institutions was bound to trigger speculation.
Iran has long considered Pakistan a neighbouring country with shared religious identity, cultural ties and historical interdependence. although not always smooth, the Tehran Islamabad relationship has been stable enough to ensure peaceful borders and regional understanding. Yet, the two countries have diverged on several occasions especially when it comes to the gulf region, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and their respective ties with the united states and Saudi Arabia. general Asim Munir’s visit raised red flags in Tehran precisely because it was perceived to align Pakistan more closely with Washington’s regional posture, which Iran sees as aggressive, unilateral and detrimental to Muslim unity.
The crux of the perceived betrayal lies in the geopolitical messaging. For Iran, whose leadership has been increasingly isolated due to us sanctions, regional partnerships are not just diplomatic preferences they are essential for survival. Iran had expected countries like Pakistan, which have historically balanced relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran, china and the United States, to maintain strategic neutrality. however, the optics of general Munir’s American visit suggested an unambiguous tilt. reports that military cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, intelligence sharing and even security coordination on Afghanistan were discussed during the trip have only intensified the concerns in Tehran.
From a historical standpoint, the Iranian establishment has always been cautious of Pakistani American military entanglements. during the cold war, Pakistan’s role as a us ally under cento and seato already created an image of Islamabad being an instrument of western hegemony in the Islamic world. Post-9/11, the deep military engagement between the Pakistan army and the pentagon, especially during the war in Afghanistan, further confirmed Tehran’s suspicions. What distinguishes general Munir’s visit in 2025 is the regional context: Iran is increasingly cornered due to its nuclear ambitions and confrontational stance with Israel, while Pakistan appears to be repositioning itself as a more reliable American ally in the region particularly after its deteriorating relations with the Taliban in Kabul and growing dependence on International Monetary Fund bailouts backed by western powers.
Another significant aspect that makes Iran view the visit as a betrayal is the shifting economic geography of the region. Iran had long been advocating for projects like the Iran Pakistan gas pipeline meant to supply much-needed energy to Pakistan. However, under pressure from American sanctions, successive Pakistani governments have failed to operationalize the project. By cozying up further to Washington under general Munir’s leadership, Tehran sees Pakistan sealing the fate of the pipeline project, thus undermining not just Iran’s economy but also the spirit of bilateral cooperation that had once shown promise.
Moreover, the shadow of Saudi Arabia looms large over these regional dynamics. the Iran Saudi rivalry has defined much of middle eastern politics for decades and any Pakistani tilt toward Riyadh especially under the influence of American strategic guidance is viewed with deep suspicion in Tehran. The Pakistani army has historically had close ties with the Saudi monarchy, often providing military advisors and troops to secure the kingdom. general Asim Munir, as a former head of military intelligence, is no stranger to these corridors of power. His American visit, followed by reports of increased Saudi Pakistani defence cooperation, has furthered the Iranian belief that Pakistan is aligning with the us-led gulf axis against the so-called “resistance axis” of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah.
Iran’s disappointment also stems from the Islamic lens through which it views diplomacy. it sees itself as the flag bearer of Islamic resistance against western imperialism and zionist aggression. From this perspective, a fellow Muslim-majority country like Pakistan whose foundation was based on islamic unity strengthening military ties with the united states, which is seen as the primary enabler of Israeli military power and suppressor of Muslim causes in Palestine, Iraq and Syria, is nothing short of ideological betrayal. Tehran’s religious elite sees such moves not merely as pragmatic diplomacy but as abandonment of the ummah’s collective cause.
However, Pakistan’s rationale under general Asim Munir can be understood through its internal and strategic compulsions. With a precarious economy, high inflation, political instability and border tensions with both Afghanistan and India, Islamabad is in desperate need of stability and support from global powers. the united states remain a significant player in global financial institutions and international diplomacy. For the Pakistan army, which has traditionally played a dominant role in shaping the country’s foreign policy, re-engaging with Washington is seen not only as a strategic necessity but also as a means to reclaim geopolitical relevance after years of being side lined due to its ambiguous stance on the Taliban.
Additionally, there is a growing perception within the Pakistani military establishment that Iran is increasingly drifting toward India, particularly in terms of port cooperation through Chabahar. This has raised alarms in Rawalpindi, where general Munir and his strategists are wary of being encircled. from their perspective, it is imperative to ensure that Pakistan is not left isolated in the new emerging regional blocs, where India and iran could collaborate to bypass Pakistani routes and marginalize the china-Pakistan economic corridor.
The united states, for its part, sees value in bringing Pakistan back into its fold not just as a counterbalance to Chinese influence in south Asia, but also as a stabilizing military force in the islamic world. With instability looming large in Afghanistan and concerns growing over china’s expanding role in central Asia, Washington considers Pakistan’s military as a critical partner, if not a direct ally. General Asim Munir’s visit is seen in that light a diplomatic choreography aimed at reinforcing old alliances while subtly drawing new lines in the sand.
Still, this realignment comes at a cost. for Iran, the betrayal is not just symbolic but strategic. a Pakistan that walks too closely with the united states could undermine regional efforts for economic integration that exclude western influence. It could derail the vision of an Asian bloc comprising Iran, china, Russia and neighbouring countries challenging western hegemony. Moreover, the damage to Muslim solidarity, which Iran tries to champion through forums like the islamic unity conference, becomes harder to repair with each such gesture of alignment with Washington.
The question then is not whether general Asim Munir’s visit to the United States was a betrayal in the absolute sense but whether it was perceived as one by Iran and its allies. In geopolitics, perception often shapes reality. The signals sent by this high-level military engagement are hard to ignore. For a country like Iran, which already feels besieged by western encirclement and internal dissent, every shift in regional alignment carries the weight of existential concern. Pakistan, under general Munir, appears to be navigating a tightrope balancing the urgent needs of national stability with the broader expectations of Muslim solidarity and regional balance. whether that balancing act will hold, or tip towards lasting distrust, remains to be seen.
general Asim Munir’s visit to the united states may have made diplomatic and strategic sense for Pakistan given its economic hardships and regional anxieties. But from Tehran’s perspective, it was a stark betrayal not only of bilateral ties but of a shared vision for regional independence from western domination. The visit has certainly altered the tone of Iran Pakistan relations, and unless carefully managed, it could mark the beginning of a new chapter in south Asian geopolitics one in which old friendships give way to new fault lines.
WAS ASIM MUNIR’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A BETRAYAL TO IRAN
