When US Vice President JD Vance disembarked his plane ahead of high-stakes talks with Iran in Islamabad on Saturday, he was greeted by the powerful Pakistani army chief, his civilian attire blending in with those around him.

The image illustrated what many experts say is Field Marshal Asim Munir's growing role at the centre of Pakistan's foreign relations.

"He is a soldier, a statesman and a diplomat," Islamabad-based political analyst Qamar Cheema told AFP. "Munir has created a momentum for Pakistan at a global level to change Pakistan's perception."

Pakistan's push to get Iran and the United States to the negotiating table for their highest-level face-to-face talks in decades to end weeks of war has garnered international praise -- and some surprise.

In Islamabad, Munir was at the centre of the action -- greeting both delegations on their arrival and displaying remarkable bonhomie with Vance.

During the historic face-to-face trilateral talks, Munir and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar helped "mediate" the talks, as per the civilian official.

It is a long way to have come for a country that has had a stop-start alliance with Washington, which has often admonished Islamabad when military leaders have toppled civilian governments -- even as it has worked with them.

US President Donald Trump frequently refers to Munir as his "favourite field marshal", after a rapport built during US efforts to defuse a short but intense armed conflict between Pakistan and rival India last year.

Pakistan heaped praise on Trump in the wake of that conflict, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. India has downplayed any US involvement in resolving the crisis.

This weekend's marathon talks ended with Vance announcing he was leaving without a deal, but Pakistan said it would continue to facilitate dialogue.