Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to play a constructive role for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond. According to a post on X by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Araghchi expressed appreciation for Pakistan's continued support in advancing the peace process.
Repatriation and Close Contact
Dar also thanked Iran for facilitating the safe and smooth repatriation of Iranian crew members and fishermen to their homeland, MoFA wrote. Both Dar and Araghchi agreed to remain in close contact, the post concluded.
Previous Call and Ceasefire Concerns
In a phone call last week, both foreign ministers expressed serious concern over ceasefire violations committed by Israel in Lebanon, despite the US-Iran peace agreement. During that conversation, Dar congratulated Iran's leadership, government, and people on the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US.
The calls came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Islamabad MoU as mediator, formalising a major diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran, ending the 108-day war that started when the US and Israel assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials. The memorandum also carries the signatures of US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
14-Point Agreement and Violations
The 14-point agreement extended a ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days, including in Lebanon, to allow the two sides to negotiate a final truce. Both Trump and Pezeshkian digitally signed the memorandum in English and Farsi. Despite the agreement, both the US and Iran have accused the other of violating the deal. On Saturday, Iran condemned US strikes on several sites along its southern coastline, accusing Washington of violating the UN Charter and the recently signed pact. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the attacks targeted coastal surveillance facilities and reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence, stating that its armed forces had conducted retaliatory strikes on US-linked targets.
Lebanon and Strait of Hormuz Incidents
Meanwhile, Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israeli forces overnight bombed the vicinity of the town of Markaba, about 1.5 kilometres from the Israel-Lebanon border. The reported strike came after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a first step in negotiations. Yesterday, the US military attacked Iran in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, with each country accusing the other of violating terms of a ceasefire agreed on last week.
