Iran, Pakistan reaffirm commitment to 'regional peace, stability, shared prosperity'

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, reaffirmed Friday their commitment to working together for "regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity."

The two ministers met on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting in the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata and discussed the "evolving regional situation," according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

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

He also emphasized the importance of building on the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed last month to end the war between Iran and the United States.

Araghchi appreciated Pakistan's "continued diplomatic support and constructive efforts in promoting regional peace and security," as well as Islamabad's efforts to facilitate the safe return of Iranian fishermen and crew members, including those from vessels interdicted by the US.

Regional tensions have escalated over the past two weeks after US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire outlined in the Islamabad MoU was no longer in effect.

Since then, the US and Iran have exchanged strikes, with Washington targeting sites inside Iran, while Tehran says it has attacked US military facilities and equipment across several countries in the region.