What to know about Pakistan’s army chief and his role as mediator between Iran and the US

A 15-second video put Pakistan’s powerful army chief back in the global spotlight.

Posted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the video shows Field Marshal Asim Munir descending from a plane in military uniform and receiving a fraternal hug from him. The Pakistani official traveled to the epicenter of the conflict to try to ease tensions and arrange a second round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Pakistan has been acting as the main mediator between Iran and the United States, and much of the attention has been on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in part because they have been tweeting and issuing press releases about their efforts. But another figure has also been key to the process: the army chief.

Here are a few things to know about his role:

Behind the scenes, but a key player
Since Pakistan announced a few weeks ago that