Syrian president, Pakistani premier discuss Middle East escalation
Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif, Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa stress need for ‘restraint, de-escalation and dialogue’ amid US/Israeli airstrikes, Iranian retaliation
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
KARACHI, Pakistan
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Monday that he discussed the current escalation in the Middle East with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Sharif said that in a telephone call, he and Al-Sharaa discussed “the dangerous regional escalation following recent unfortunate developments in the Middle East,” according to a statement on US social media company X.
The two sides stressed the need for “restraint, de-escalation, and dialogue to preserve peace and stability,” Sharif said.
The phone call came after joint US-Israeli attacks killed several senior Iranian officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, resulting in several deaths. Four US service members have been killed and 18 others wounded.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the death toll from the US and Israeli airstrikes since Saturday has climbed to 555.
