As the United States and Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire, Pakistan’s strongman military chief is emerging as a major diplomatic player on the international stage.

When announcing the truce, both US President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Asim Munir.

Munir, who last year became Pakistan’s first ever chief of defence forces, is widely seen as the most powerful man in the country.

According to one prominent Chinese analyst, Munir’s close ties with Trump gave him a unique advantage in de-escalating a conflict that has threatened to shake the global economy.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that shortly before announcing the ceasefire, Trump made two phone calls: in addition to a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president made one to Munir. The earliest reports of Munir speaking to Trump about the war emerged around two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Also on Tuesday, an article published by US news website Axios cited a senior US official as saying that Munir has developed a “rapport” with US Vice-President J.D. Vance.