ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week chaired a meeting of foreign ministry officials to review the country’s diplomatic priorities and preparations for upcoming engagements, the foreign office said as the US-Iran war intensifies with both sides exchanging fresh attacks in the Middle East.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Washington completed another round of strikes against Iran on Saturday night, saying that its forces hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage sites.
The development followed the eighth consecutive night of US-Iran fighting. Tehran threatened on Saturday to launch a “full-scale offensive” if US strikes continued, saying it had targeted American military sites in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. The conflict originally began on Feb. 28 before spreading across the Gulf and disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz artery, sending global oil prices higher.
Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, chaired a meeting with Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch and senior officials of the foreign ministry on Saturday to discuss Islamabad’s recent diplomatic engagements, the foreign office said.
“The meeting covered follow-up actions, ongoing diplomatic priorities, and preparations for upcoming engagements,” the foreign office said in a statement on Saturday.
“DPM/FM emphasized the importance of close coordination, effective implementation of diplomatic initiatives, and sustained efforts toward advancing Pakistan’s foreign policy objectives and national interests.”
Pakistan positioned itself as a mediator between the US and Iran, trying to prevent a broader regional conflict since the war broke out in February.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with both states, helping them sign an interim peace deal known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June, before fighting resumed last week after the US accused Iran of unprovoked firing at vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamabad MoU is an interim 14-point peace framework under which Washington and Tehran were required to hold negotiations to reach a final settlement of the conflict within a 60-day period.
Since hostilities resumed, Pakistan has urged all parties to the conflict to adhere to the provisions of the Islamabad MoU and opt for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis.
The US-Iran attacks over the strategic Hormuz shipping route have once again sent global oil prices soaring, leading 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 erupted last week.
