Pakistan on Wednesday urged all parties in the Iran-U.S. conflict to exercise restraint and uphold the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) after Washington and Tehran once again traded aerial strikes.
In a statement, the Foreign Office expressed deep concern at the re-escalation in tensions in the region, saying renewed conflict is in no one’s interest. “Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may further undermine regional peace and stability,” it said, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed the MoU was “over.” The previous night, U.S. forces struck Iranian targets in retaliation to attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.
In its statement, the Foreign Office said there is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve the shared goal of peace in the region. It said the agreement remains an enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond.
Pakistan, it added, remains ready to continue playing its role as mediator in this regard.
The U.S. and Iran inked a 14-point interim peace agreement, the Islamabad MoU, last month to halt the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have subsequently engaged in multiple rounds of talks but concerns persist over the ceasefire collapsing and inciting outright conflict once again.