US President Trump held an unprecedented meeting at the White House on Wednesday to invite Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Mounir to lunch. The meeting is likely to exacerbate differences between the US and India, as Trump claims he stopped a recent war between these two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. It was the first time that a US president hosted a Pakistani military leader at the White House without being accompanied by a senior Pakistani civilian official. Pakistan's military leaders are widely regarded as influencing Pakistan's national security policy. Pakistani officials and experts said it is expected that Munir will urge Trump not to get involved in the war between Israel and Iran and seek a cease-fire. Since Iran has no diplomatic relations with the US, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington has an agency representing Iran's interests.

US President Trump held an unprecedented meeting at the White House on Wednesday to invite Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Mounir to lunch. The meeting is likely to exacerbate differences between the US and India, as Trump claims he stopped a recent war between these two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. It was the first time that a US president hosted a Pakistani military leader at the White House without being accompanied by a senior Pakistani civilian official. Pakistan's military leaders are widely regarded as influencing Pakistan's national security policy. Pakistani officials and experts said it is expected that Munir will urge Trump not to get involved in the war between Israel and Iran and seek a cease-fire. Since Iran has no diplomatic relations with the US, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington has an agency representing Iran's interests.