Saadet Gokce
08 June 2026•Update: 08 June 2026
Pakistan on Monday urged all sides to give peace "a little more chance" as tensions in the Middle East are heightened after retaliatory strikes carried out by Israel and Iran.
"The recent surge in violence in the Middle East is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post through US social media company X.
Tensions escalated on Sunday, when Israel bombed the Lebanese capital Beirut, despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles at northern Israel in retaliation, with Israel launching several waves of airstrikes against Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform early Monday, Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop fighting "immediately" in the wake of their tit-for-tat airstrikes.
Sharif said: "As we work earnestly and painstakingly, together with our brothers and partners, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict, and especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved, we sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance."
"Let us continue to remain on the path of peace and diplomacy which have bright prospects of success instead of violence and destruction!" he added.
The region has been on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, mediated by Pakistan, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments.
