Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday called for dialogue and de-escalation to end the renewed conflict between the United States and Iran, telling his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Washington and Tehran should build on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to achieve lasting peace.
The two officials met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Kyrgyzstan, as fighting between the US and Iran intensified earlier this month, putting the Pakistan-brokered interim framework for peace signed last month under strain.
Dar’s meeting with Araghchi came as the US military launched fresh strikes on Iranian military targets overnight, while Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea and threatened additional maritime routes, heightening concerns over regional stability and sending global oil prices sharply higher.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister expressed deep concern over recent regional tensions and underscored the importance of dialogue, restraint, de-escalation by all sides, and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting peace and stability,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a social media post after the meeting. “He emphasized the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU of June 2026.”
The foreign office said Araghchi appreciated Pakistan’s continued diplomatic support and constructive efforts in promoting regional peace and security. He also thanked Islamabad for facilitating the safe return of Iranian fishermen and crew members, including those from vessels interdicted by the US, in recent weeks.
The two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination and regular consultations on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to working together for regional peace, stability and shared prosperity.
Earlier on Friday, Dar used his address to SCO foreign ministers to call on the wider international community to capitalize on the diplomatic opening created by the Islamabad MoU, warning that opponents of regional stability would seek to derail the peace process.
“The international community must seize the opportunity provided by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the ongoing technical negotiations between the two parties to push for a permanent, peaceful and durable settlement of this conflict,” Dar said.
“At the same time, you must remain vigilant against those who seek to undermine regional stability,” he added. “Such actors will exploit every opportunity to derail the peace process and reverse the progress already achieved.”
Dar reiterated Pakistan believed in dialogue and diplomacy, adding that mutual respect among the parties to the dispute was the only way forward to resolve conflicts and achieve durable peace and security.
“Only by working together, we can achieve this shared objective of long-term peace, stability and prosperity for the region and beyond,” he said.
Source: Websites