Pakistan FM calls for ‘restraint’ in talks with Araghchi

ISLAMABAD, July 12: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, calling for restraint and de-escalation as tensions rose in the Middle East with a fresh wave of attacks by the US on Iran and retaliatory strikes at US assets and bases by Tehran.

During the phone call, both leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a post on X.
It added that DPM Dar stressed “upon the parties to follow the path of de-escalation and show restraint, as agreed in the Islamabad MoU in June 2026”.

The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding �" a 14-point interim peace deal aimed at ending the war �" was signed between the US and Iran on June 18. Pakistan is also a signatory as a mediator.

Pakistan has been leading the peace efforts since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, setting off a war and global fuel crisis as Tehran took measures to disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz �" a vital maritime corridor for the supply of oil and gas.

The signing of the MoU had raised hopes of some relief as the world reeled from the fuel crunch and the economic impact of Hormuz’s closure. However, a series of attacks between the US and Iran over the past several days led President Donald Trump to declare the end of the ceasefire.

The Middle East remained tense on Sunday as the US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf.�" DAWN