Dar urges all sides to build on Islamabad MoU as Pakistan pushes diplomacy amid renewed US-Iran conflict

• DPM stresses dialogue, restraint and de-escalation in meeting with Iranian FM Araghchi

• Tehran appreciates Pakistan’s diplomatic support and humanitarian assistance

• Both sides reaffirm close coordination for regional peace and stability

• Dar joins SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, highlights Pakistan’s upcoming SCO chairmanship

 CHOLPON-ATA, Kyrgyzstan: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday called for renewed diplomatic efforts to preserve the commitments enshrined in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), stressing the need for dialogue, restraint and de-escalation by all sides as the conflict between the United States and Iran continues to intensify.

FM Dar made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi @Araghchi, on the sidelines of the SCO CFM Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic.

The two Ministers reaffirmed the close and… pic.twitter.com/VTldfSCrE2

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 24, 2026

The meeting took place against the backdrop of renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with both countries exchanging strikes over recent days. The United States has targeted Iranian military facilities along the country’s southern coast, while Iran has responded by attacking US military bases in Gulf countries.

According to the FO, the two foreign ministers reviewed the evolving regional situation as well as bilateral relations during their talks.

Expressing deep concern over the escalating regional tensions, Dar underscored the importance of dialogue, restraint, de-escalation by all sides and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting peace and stability.

“He emphasised the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU of June 2026,” the FO said in a post on X.

The FO added that Foreign Minister Araghchi appreciated Pakistan’s continued diplomatic support and efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and security. He also thanked Islamabad for facilitating the safe return and repatriation of Iranian fishermen and sailors, including those from vessels interdicted by the United States.

“The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and regular consultations on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to working together for regional peace, stability and shared prosperity,” the FO statement concluded.

The renewed fighting since July 8 has cast fresh uncertainty over the future of the Islamabad MoU, signed on June 18, which sought to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict following an additional 60 days of negotiations.

Two weeks after the effective collapse of the interim truce intended to halt the war, the US military launched fresh air strikes on Iran late Thursday and early Friday, marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest wave of strikes lasted more than two hours.

“Centcom targeted Iranian military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities to further diminish the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported on both Thursday and Friday that missiles struck Qeshm Island on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital waterway that remains virtually closed as the conflict enters its fifth month, having claimed thousands of lives and heightened fears of a global economic slowdown.

Dar, SCO foreign ministers call on Kyrgyz president

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with the foreign ministers of the SCO member states, called on President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov of the Kyrgyz Republic at his state residence, the Foreign Office said in a separate post on X.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, along with the Foreign Ministers of the SCO Member States, called on the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Mr. Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, at the State Residence of the President in Cholpon-Ata… pic.twitter.com/sexZH2scqp

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 24, 2026

Conveying the warm greetings of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Dar thanked President Zhaparov for the gracious hospitality extended during the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

The deputy prime minister underscored the importance of continued collaboration among SCO member states as Pakistan prepares to assume the SCO Chairmanship for 2026–27, the FO said.

The interaction also covered key regional and global developments and highlighted the evolving role of the SCO as an important platform for regional cooperation.

 Pakistan joins SCO foreign ministers’ meeting

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar joined fellow regional leaders at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cholpon-Ata.

Upon his arrival at the venue, Dar was warmly received by Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, with the two leaders exchanging greetings before the session.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 is participating in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, today. He joined fellow Foreign Ministers of the SCO Member States for the traditional family photograph… pic.twitter.com/l0EDKploEP

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 24, 2026

He later joined the foreign ministers of the SCO member states for the traditional family photograph ahead of the meeting.

On Thursday evening, Dar also attended the informal dinner hosted for SCO foreign ministers, where participants exchanged views and discussed the agenda of the ministerial meeting.

At the invitation of Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, the deputy prime minister is leading Pakistan’s delegation to the meeting, which is being attended by the foreign ministers of all SCO member states, including Pakistan, China, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) is the third-highest forum within the SCO framework and primarily focuses on international relations as well as the foreign and security policies of the organisation's member states.