Munir Uses Oil Venture Leverage to Broker Secret Iran-Saudi Deal
Pakistan's General Asim Munir has reportedly brokered a behind-the-scenes agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, using his business ties with an Iranian military commander to persuade Tehran to stop attacking the Gulf kingdom.
The understanding was reached in late March, during the early stages of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. According to unnamed officials familiar with the matter, Munir relied on a joint oil transportation venture with Ahmad Vahidi, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as leverage during the negotiations.
The business has been transporting Iranian oil to Pakistan since late last year despite international pressure and restrictions on Iranian exports. One official quoted by The Times of Israel said Munir warned Vahidi that continued attacks on Saudi Arabia could jeopardise the future of the oil venture.