U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope on Thursday for progress toward an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East through Pakistan’s mediation, as Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, is expected to visit Tehran.

The announcement by Iranian media of Munir’s expected visit, a prominent figure increasingly playing a role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that negotiations were at a “crossroads” between reaching an agreement and a resumption of hostilities.

A ceasefire reached on April 8 halted hostilities in the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, but negotiations have yet to produce a permanent peace agreement.

The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) revealed on Thursday the expected visit of Munir, saying it aims to continue “talks and consultations.” Other media outlets reported the same, while Pakistan has yet to confirm sending an envoy.

Pakistan hosted a round of direct negotiations in April between U.S. and Iranian officials, the only such meeting since the war broke out.

Munir played a central role in that round of talks, receiving the delegations upon their arrival and displaying notable cordiality with the heads of the negotiating teams — U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Shura Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Since then, both sides have exchanged several proposals, while the risk of renewed war persists amid ongoing verbal warnings.

Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the issue is “at a complete crossroads, believe me. If we don’t get the right answers, things will deteriorate very quickly. We are all on high alert.”

He added, “We must get the right answers — they must be 100% complete answers.”

Donald Trump is facing growing domestic political pressure amid rising energy costs. While the ceasefire halted the fighting, it has not led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the vital waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.

The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major sticking point in the negotiations, amid growing concerns that the global economy could face further strain from declining oil reserves that had already been shrinking before the war.

Rubio, speaking as he headed to Sweden for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, said Trump “is not asking them to deploy their fighters. But they refuse to do anything… We were very disappointed by that.”

The Strait of Hormuz also handles around one-third of global fertilizer shipments, fueling concerns over potential food shortages and rising prices if the restrictions continue.