Iran war updates: Pakistan's army chief to visit Tehran

What you need to know

• Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is to visit Tehran as a mediator between Iran and the US
• Tehran says it is reviewing Washington's latest peace position after US President Donald Trump said he could wait a few days to "get the right answers"
• Iran has hanged two more men in a wave of executions amid the Middle East war 

Here is a roundup of the latest headlines from the US-Israeli war on Iran and the wider conflict in the Middle East on Thursday, May 21, 2026:

Pakistani army chief Munir due in Tehran — Iranian media

Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to visit Tehran on Thursday as Islamabad pursues its role as mediator in the Iran war, Iranian media have said.

Iran's ISNA news agency said Munir would hold "talks and consultations" with Iranian authorities provided no details. Other Iranian media carried the same report.

Munir's visit comes after Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Iran on Wednesday and held talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. 

Pakistan, which borders on Iran to the east, has been mediating between Tehran and Washington in peace efforts.

Among other things, it hosted unsuccessful peace talks in Islamabad in mid-April.

It did, however, succeed in brokering a ceasefire between the two sides that has held, with extensions, since April 8.

Iran says 'reviewing' latest US stance on ending war

Iran says it is examining the latest position taken by Washington on ending its war, after US President Donald Trump said he could be ready to wait a few days to "get the right answers."

"We have received US views and are reviewing them," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to Iranian state-run agency Nour News.

Washington is putting pressure on Iran to comply quickly with its demands, notably to stop any activities that could lead to the production of nuclear weapons.

"Believe me, if ​we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. ​

Asked how long he ‌would wait, Trump said, "It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly."

He insisted that the US was "in the final stage of Iran."

"We'll see what happens. Either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," ‌Trump said

"Ideally, I'd like to see few people killed, as opposed to a lot. We can do ‌it either ​way," he said.

Welcome to our coverage

DW welcomes all its users to its coverage of events in the Middle East amid a widening conflict triggered by a US-Israeli offensive against Iran launched on February 28.

Although a ceasefire agreement has put a stop to hostilities in Iran itself since April 8, US President Donald Trump has warned that he believes the time for diplomacy is almost over.

Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, is, however, continuing with its peace efforts, reportedly sending its army chief to Iran on the heels of a visit there by its interior minister.

Tehran, meanwhile, has said it is reviewing Washington's latest position on ending the war.

DW will be looking at these peace efforts, as well as the consequences for the Middle East region and the world of a conflict that is also directly affecting several other countries besides Iran.