Since his return to office, US President Donald Trump’s administration’s fondness with Pakistan and its leaders, particularly with Field Marshal Asim Munir, has increased vastly. Trump, on many occasions, also praised Munir and described him as a ‘fantastic’ person and a ‘great fighter’, crediting him for facilitating talks between the US and Iran, who have been locked in a conflict since February 28.ย ย
However, a report by an American media has warned the Trump administration that Munir could actually be a liability for the US. The report by Fox News Digital said Munir’s closeness with Iran, particularly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is not good for the US and Trump administration.ย
It said that Munir has had ties with top Iranian officials, including slain Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, which helped him facilitate talks with Iran and act as back-channel mediator between Washington and Tehran. Trump also called Munir his ‘favourite Field Marshal’ but his dual role could compromise US interests, the report stated.
“Trump should not trust the Pakistanis. Pakistan was a perfidious โallyโ in Afghanistan, backing the Taliban while pretending to be our friends. Munirโs ties to the IRGC should be a massive red flag for the Trump admin,” Bill Roggio of Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital.
Pakistan shielding Iranian interests?
Quoting analysts and experts, the report further warned that the history of Pakistan as a ‘perfidious ally’ can make it a security risk, especially as it works closely with Iran. It also claimed that Munir might be using his relationship with Trump only to shield Iranian interests or to entrench Pakistan as an indispensable, but unreliable, middleman.
“Trump has long shown a preference for strong, decisive leaders,” Pakistani analyst Raza Rumi told Fox News Digital. “Munir fits that mold as a centralized authority figure who can deliver outcomes.”
“Unlike more publicly charismatic military figures, his style is relatively understated, shaped by intelligence work and operational experience rather than overt political signaling,” Rumi said, while describing Munir as “a disciplined, institution-first leader with a strong emphasis on order, hierarchy and strategic clarity.”
Munir most powerful military chief in Pakistan?
Born in 1968 to a lower-middle-class family, Munir joined the Pakistani military in 1986. Munir, who is currently in Iran to facilitate Washington-Tehran talks, had also served in Saudi Arabia when he was a colonel and has learned Arabic. He is the only army chief to have headed both Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
As per analysts, Munir, who promoted himself as Field Marshal despite India’s success against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, is the most powerful military chief in the country after Pervez Musharraf. They argue that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “may well appear to be prominent figures in the US-Iran peace talks, but make no mistake, Asim Munir is the man taking the decisions.”ย ย
“Field Marshal Munir is easily the most powerful Pakistani leader since Pervez Musharraf, giving him complete authority over military appointments, civilian government decision-making and the militaryโs sprawling business empire,” Charles Lyons-Jones, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute, told Associated Press (AP).