Dar urges building on Islamabad MoU commitments in meeting with Iran’s Araghchi

CHOLPON-ATA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday stressed the need to advance the commitments contained in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the Foreign Office.

The two foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The Foreign Office said they discussed bilateral relations and reviewed the ongoing regional situation.

In a statement posted on X, the Foreign Office said Dar conveyed Pakistan’s concern over the recent rise in regional tensions and highlighted the importance of dialogue, restraint, de-escalation by all parties and continued diplomatic engagement to secure lasting peace and stability. The statement added that he also underscored the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU of June 2026.

According to the Foreign Office, Araghchi thanked Pakistan for its continued diplomatic backing and its efforts to promote regional peace and security. He also expressed appreciation for Islamabad’s role in facilitating the safe return and repatriation of Iranian fishermen and sailors, including those from vessels interdicted by the United States.

The statement said both sides agreed to remain in close contact and continue regular consultations on issues of mutual interest. They reaffirmed their commitment to working together for regional peace, stability and shared prosperity.

Renewed tensions cloud MoU outlook

The meeting took place after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes in recent days. Washington targeted Iranian military facilities along the country’s southern coast, while Tehran struck US bases in Gulf countries.

The latest round of fighting since July 8 has raised further questions over the future of the MoU signed on June 18, which had been aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war after a further 60 days of negotiations.

That, two weeks after the effective collapse of an interim truce intended to end the conflict, the US military launched air strikes on Iran late on Thursday and early on Friday for a 13th straight night of attacks. US Central Command said the latest strikes lasted more than two hours.

In its statement, Centcom said it had targeted Iranian military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities in an effort to reduce what it described as the threat posed by Iran to civilian mariners and commercial vessels using the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media stated on both Thursday and Friday that missiles hit Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway described as virtually closed and central to a war now in its fifth month that has killed thousands and heightened fears of a global economic slowdown.