Dar reaffirms Pakistan's commitment to regional peace in call with Iranian counterpart

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to promoting lasting peace and stability in the region during a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Dar reiterated Pakistan's readiness to continue playing a constructive role in advancing regional peace and stability.

In a post on X, the MoFA said Foreign Minister Araghchi appreciated Pakistan's consistent support for the ongoing peace process and thanked Islamabad for facilitating the safe and smooth repatriation of Iranian crew members and fishermen to their homeland.

The two foreign ministers also agreed to remain in close contact to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and coordinate on regional developments.

The latest conversation follows a phone call last week in which Dar and Araghchi expressed serious concern over reported ceasefire violations by Israel in Lebanon despite the recently concluded United States-Iran peace agreement. During that discussion, Dar congratulated the Iranian leadership, government and people on the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.

The Islamabad MoU, brokered by Pakistan, marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough aimed at ending the 108-day conflict between the United States and Iran. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement as mediator, while US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formally endorsed the memorandum through digital signatures in English and Farsi.

The 14-point agreement extended the ceasefire for an additional 60 days, including in Lebanon, to provide space for negotiations on a permanent settlement.

However, tensions have persisted despite the accord. Both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the agreement. On Saturday, Iran condemned US strikes on several sites along its southern coastline, describing them as violations of the UN Charter and the recently signed peace pact. Tehran said the attacks targeted coastal surveillance facilities and asserted its right to self-defence, claiming its armed forces had carried out retaliatory strikes against US-linked targets.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israeli forces carried out overnight airstrikes near the border town of Markaba, approximately 1.5 kilometres from the Israel-Lebanon frontier. The reported attack came shortly after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as an initial step toward broader negotiations.

The latest escalation also follows US military strikes against Iran in response to an alleged Iranian drone attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, with both countries continuing to accuse each other of breaching the ceasefire reached last week.