As Donald Trump Hosts Pak Army Chief For Lunch, What The White House Said
US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for a special luncheon at the White House on Wednesday.
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- From: India News Bull
## THE IRAN FACTOR Geopolitical realities have once again brought Washington to seek Islamabad and Rawalpindi's cooperation. Currently, two US aircraft carriers—USS Carl Vinson and USS Harry S Truman—are positioned in the Arabian Sea, with B-2 Stealth bombers staged at the US base in Diego Garcia, all awaiting President Trump's orders.
During a White House press briefing hours before meeting Pakistan's army chief, President Trump remained deliberately ambiguous about potential military action against Iran, stating, "I may do it, I may not do it—nobody knows what I'm going to do." Any sustained campaign against Iran would likely require land access to the country—something Pakistan could provide.
## NOBEL PRIZE SUGGESTION According to White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, the meeting was arranged after Field Marshal Munir suggested Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for allegedly preventing a "nuclear war between India and Pakistan" last month.
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir was observed arriving at The White House in Washington, DC for his meeting with President Trump.
Kelly's statement noted, "President Trump will host Field Marshal Munir after he called for the President to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan." Trump subsequently expressed that he "loves Pakistan," while quickly adding he believes "Modi is fantastic" as well.
"Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan—I love Pakistan—I think Modi is a fantastic man, I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India... And I stopped the war between Pakistan and India," Trump claimed repeatedly, despite India and Prime Minister Modi consistently rejecting this assertion.
## SELF-PROMOTION DYNAMICS Both leaders have engaged in forms of self-promotion. Trump positions himself as a global "peace-maker" and "deal-broker" in various conflicts, including Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, and the recent India-Pakistan tensions following terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, Asim Munir, recently promoted to Field Marshal by Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, has elevated his international profile through meetings with heads of state in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and now the United States—unusual diplomatic engagements for military leaders rather than civilian government officials.
## HISTORICAL US-PAKISTAN MILITARY RELATIONSHIPS Previous Pakistani military leaders, including dictators Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, established precedents for direct engagement with US Presidents. General Zia-ul-Haq aligned Pakistan with the United States against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, while Pervez Musharraf supported America's "war against terror" in Afghanistan.
The current US focus on Iran—Pakistan's neighbor—makes the timing of Trump's meeting with Pakistan's army chief particularly significant for China and other Asian nations. China considers Iran an ally and has expressed support for the Khamenei regime. Pakistan describes China as an "unshakable" friend and "all-weather ally" while maintaining strong anti-Israel positions, reportedly even threatening nuclear action if Israel attacks Tehran.
The White House has designated Wednesday's Trump-Munir meeting as a closed-door discussion, with no confirmation whether official statements will follow the talks.