ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday voices concern over a fresh escalation in hostilities between the United States (US) and Iran, urging both countries to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue as renewed military exchanges threatened to undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region.
The call came hours after the US launched a second round of airstrikes on Iran after President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations, while Iran responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
The military exchanges come at a time when efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict appeared stalled, with Iran insisting it would maintain its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz that has disrupted global energy supplies and sent oil prices higher.
Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told a weekly press briefing on Thursday that Islamabad was “deeply concerned” about the recent escalation and appealed to the parties to end hostilities to widen space for dialogue and diplomacy.
“Pakistan reaffirms its support for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues,” he told reporters in Islamabad. “We are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving negotiated settlement of all contentious issues.”
The US Central Command earlier said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression” and targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.” It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes.
Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defenses fought off the attack. Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating. Kuwait International Airport took a direct Iranian hit in recent days, killing one person and wounding dozens.
It is the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested the ceasefire. Since the US and Israel started the war with Feb. 28 attacks on Iran, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices worldwide, and made food and other basics more expensive.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he gave Iran “a break at the request of Pakistan,” specifically its Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, describing them as “great.”
“They became friendly to me, very friendly, and they’re close to Iran,” Trump said about Pakistan. “And they work, and they still are working on trying them [Iran] to do what’s right. But we want a deal that’s meaningful. We want a deal that works.”
Trump has urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war and suggested earlier this week that an agreement could be reached in days.
Iran’s United Nations envoy said the US should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.
“Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question,” Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
