By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the latest escalation of fighting in the Middle East and called on the United States and Iran to pull back from further confrontation after a round of mutual strikes overnight.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said a renewed conflict serves no one’s interest. “Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may further undermine regional peace and stability,” the office said. “There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve a shared goal of peace in the region.”
The statement also pressed both sides to honor the commitments they made under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. That agreement, the Foreign Office said, “remains an enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond.”
Pakistan, the statement added, remains ready to continue serving as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. The country has played a central role in those mediation efforts this year and has been repeatedly praised by the Trump administration for its involvement.
The latest flare-up began with Iranian attacks on at least three ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz in recent days. Those strikes prompted extensive U.S. strikes on Iranian targets Tuesday, which were followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on targets in Gulf countries. The exchanges have set back efforts to bring the wider Middle East war to a close.
The fighting marks another breach of the ceasefire that has been in place since April. Last month the United States carried out attacks inside Iran after President Trump said a U.S. Apache helicopter had been downed. Iran responded by striking bases and other targets in the Gulf.
More than a week after those earlier strikes, the Islamabad MoU was signed. It gave both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and related issues while requiring a complete halt to military operations on all fronts.
The situation shifted again earlier Wednesday when Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, declared the ceasefire over. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said. “I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people.”
Trump added that the United States would hit Iran “hard” tonight.
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