ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the United States and Iran to shun renewed attacks against each other and resume talks to end their war, saying that “peace never dies” and all conflicts are resolved at the negotiation tables.
The statement came after Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, following an expanded US military campaign with strikes deeper inside Iran and tightening of a naval blockade around the Islamic republic this week that marked another sharp escalation in the conflict centered on the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan emerged as a key intermediary by facilitating contacts between senior US and Iranian officials that paved the way for last month’s interim peace agreement, called the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that included a 60-day ceasefire, reopening of Hormuz, and a timetable for a final deal on the war and Iran’s nuclear program.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any actions that could further undermine regional peace, dispelling reports that Islamabad had distanced itself from the mediation process.
“The logic of escalation is prevailing right now. But we hope that this logic of escalation will be overcome by the rationality for peace and dialogue. Peace process never dies. It can be held in a back burner but it stays,” he said.
“The logic of Islamabad MoU still exists. And whenever parties will feel that their logic of escalation is exhausted, the return to peace will be through a template which is provided in the Islamabad MoU.”
The US-Iran retaliatory attacks over the strategic Hormuz shipping route have again sent global oil prices soaring and led to concerns of spikes in inflation even in nations far from the conflict.
The key oil and gas supply artery, which Iran insists it controls, is central to the rekindled fighting that has entered its sixth day despite the preliminary deal in June aiming to end the war.
“Many countries, particularly those in the Global South, are being adversely affected by situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan recognizes the urgent need to address the impact of the current situation on global energy supplies and other economic commodities, including trade and food security,” Andrabi said.
“We express the hope for an early normalization of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and underscore the importance of ensuring the continued safety, security, and freedom of maritime navigation.”
There have been “challenges” to the US-Iran interim peace deal, but Islamabad is still engaged with the parties to help end hostilities, according to Andrabi.
“While the implementation of MoU is facing challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the MoU,” he said.
