President publicly thanked what he called Pakistans “great prime minister and field marshal, two fantastic people!!!” in a Truth Social post Friday praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistans military chief, Asim Munir.
Sharif quickly responded on X, “On behalf of the people of Pakistan, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and on my behalf, I express my deep and profound appreciation for your kind and gracious words.”
The public exchange capped a remarkable rise for Munir, who has become one of the few foreign officials trusted both by Trump and by Irans security establishment.
Munir recently became the first foreign military leader to visit Iran since the latest and Iran, according to Pakistani and Iranian reports. Arriving in full military uniform, he was warmly greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and held meetings with senior Iranian military officials.
Retired Pakistani Gen. Ahmed Saeed told Fox News Digital that Munir has for months served as an as the Trump administration tries to negotiate an end to the conflict, Irans nuclear program and the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf.
Few foreign figures appear to have closer ties both to Trump and to .
That has raised a striking question: How did the same man become close both to Trump and to some of Irans most powerful commanders?
Saeed, who said he has known Munir personally for years, told Fox News Digital that Munir began building ties with Iran while serving as Pakistans director general of military intelligence in 2016 and 2017.
“He has been interacting with the leadership. He has been interacting with the intelligence community. He has been interacting with the IRGC,” or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saeed said.
According to Saeed, Munir built ties not only with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but also with Irans regular army and intelligence apparatus. Saeed said Munir had longstanding contact with former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in 2020, commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike in June 2025, and other Iranian military figures.
“He continues to be a figure internationally who has personal interactions, a personal equation in the intelligence community in Iran, in the military hierarchy in Iran, in the diplomatic corps of Iran and also on the side of the political leadership,” Saeed said.
That longstanding relationship appears to explain why Iran welcomed him so warmly, even as he remains in direct contact with Trump and his team.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Bill Roggio told Fox News Digital that, “Trump should not trust the Pakistanis. Pakistan was a perfidious ally in Afghanistan, backing the Taliban while pretending to be our friends. Munirs ties to the IRGC should be a massive red flag for the Trump admin.”
Munirs relationship with Trump dates back to the IndiaâPakistan crisis of May 2025. Munir played a key role in helping de-escalate the confrontation, and afterward Pakistan formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a move widely viewed by Pakistani analysts as encouraged by Munir.
Since then, Trump repeatedly has praised him. Trump has called Munir an “exceptional man,” a “great fighter” and “my favorite field marshal.”Â
Pakistani officials and media reports say the two men now speak directly.
Pakistani analyst Raza Rumi told Fox News Digital that Munirs appeal to Trump is not surprising.
“Trump has long shown a preference for strong, decisive leaders,” Rumi said. “Munir fits that mold as a centralized authority figure who can deliver outcomes.”
Rumi described Munir as “a disciplined, institution-first leader with a strong emphasis on order, hierarchy and strategic clarity.”
“Unlike more publicly char
