Pakistan’s rulers know how to work a room. Washington hears counterterrorism, stability, and nuclear responsibility. Tehran hears brotherhood, resistance, and shared interests. Each audience is encouraged to believe it has found a dependable partner. For years, this could be passed off as realpolitik of a state living in a difficult neighborhood. Under Pakistan’s de facto ruler, Field Marshal Asim Munir, the nuclear state is beginning to look less like Washington’s bridge to Tehran than the ayatollahs’ clearing agent in D.C.

Munir now sits atop a military command centralized around the newly created office of the Chief of Defence Forces, with operational authority over the army, navy, and air force. Constitutional and legislative changes have strengthened his position while Pakistan’s civilian institutions have receded. That concentration of power is part of his appeal abroad. Washington is being asked to see a useful intermediary: a general who can reassure President Donald Trump, speak to Tehran, and impose discipline at home. American officials have heard versions of this pitch before.