ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged all sides to exercise restraint amid reported violations of the US-Iran ceasefire, saying they undermine the ongoing fragile peace process.
Sharif’s statement came after the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles hours after Washington and Tehran announced they had agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Israel has also continued to carry out military operations in Lebanon, despite Sharif saying that Washington and its allies have agreed to cease fire in Lebanon as well.
Pakistan, which mediated between the US and Iran during the war, has said it will host talks between delegations from Washington and Tehran in Islamabad on Apr. 10 that would focus on a lasting settlement to the war.
“I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role toward peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X.
The ceasefire deal between the US and Iran is subject to Iran’s agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas passing through the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump has said.
Earlier during his address to the federal cabinet on Wednesday, Sharif thanked Saudi Arabia, the GCC states, China and other regional allies for supporting Pakistan’s efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran.
“I would like to thank President Trump, who took a pause on my request, for two weeks, which you can call a temporary ceasefire,” he said.
“I would like to thank all the Gulf countries, which includes firstly Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Turkiye, Indonesia, Egypt, Azerbaijan and the UAE. I am thankful to our great Himalayan friend China. I am thankful to all of them from the bottom of my heart.”
He thanked Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership for their efforts to secure the ceasefire between the two sides.
“In my entire career, I have not seen such coordination, self-less effort between the political and military hierarchy in my 40-eyar-career,” he added.
The Pakistani prime minister said that an American delegation will arrive in Islamabad on Friday for the talks, adding that an Iranian delegation will also attend the negotiations.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing that US Vice President J.D. Vance will lead the American delegation in the Islamabad talks.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also be part of the delegation, she said.
“The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time, and we know we look forward to those in-person meetings,” Leavitt said.
‘CANNOT HAVE BOTH’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbasi Araghchi wrote on X that the terms of the ceasefire are clear and explicit.
It said the US must choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel, adding that Washington “cannot have both.”
“The world sees the massacres in Lebanon,” the Iranian minister wrote. “The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.”
Separately, international news websites reported that Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz crossing again.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official as saying: “Any attack on the proud Hezbollah is an attack on Iran.”
The IRGC official further said that the military is preparing a “heavy response” to Israel’s “savage crimes.”
The US and Israel have battered Iran with attacks since the war began on Feb. 28, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. Iran responded with a stream of strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors, causing regional chaos and outsized economic and political shock.
The war disrupted global oil and gas shipments, pushing the prices of petroleum products higher and prompting several countries to take energy conservation measures.
