Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called on countries involved in the growing tensions in the Middle East to show restraint and take steps to de-escalate the conflict, BTA reports.
The appeal was made during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Agence France-Presse reported, citing information from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
Dar stressed that dialogue and diplomatic efforts remain the only path to a lasting solution to disputes and the establishment of peace and stability in the region.
“Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to smoothing out differences and achieving sustainable peace“, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said after the conversation.
Ishaq Dar's appeal comes against the backdrop of a new escalation in relations between Iran and the United States. Over the past 24 hours, the two countries have exchanged blows, with Iranian forces attacking sites linked to the US military in several countries in the Persian Gulf region.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency also reported the conversation between Araghchi and Dar, specifying that the two ministers discussed the development of the situation in the region and the consequences of the recent military actions.
Pakistan, which maintains relations with both Iran and the US, traditionally calls for a diplomatic resolution of crises in the region and avoiding further escalation.