ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences to Iran over the killing of its top national security official, Dr. Ali Ardeshir Larijani, in Israeli airstrikes, his office said on Wednesday, offering Islamabad’s support to help defuse regional tensions through dialogue.
Larijani, a close confidant of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of the country’s most influential political figures, serving as nuclear negotiator and parliament speaker and playing a key role in the country’s political and security establishment.
His killing comes amid escalating hostilities between Iran, Israel and the United States.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed profound grief over the assassination of senior Iranian leader Dr. Ali Ardeshir Larijani amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran and extended his earnest condolences to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the President’s Secretariat said in a statement.
“Pakistan remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at de-escalation and the promotion of peace and stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating dialogue and diplomatic efforts to help defuse tensions in the region.”
The statement added that Zardari recalled Larijani’s visit to Pakistan in November last year, during which the two leaders discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
It said Zardari called for immediate restraint and a cessation of hostilities, urging all parties involved in the conflict to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy.
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated air and missile strikes on Iranian cities and military sites, which they said were aimed at curbing Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.
In retaliation, Iran struck Tel Aviv, US bases and personnel in Gulf states, as well as oil depots, airports and energy infrastructure in neighboring countries it accused of hosting US forces.
Tehran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel between Iran and Oman that handles around one-fifth of the world’s oil and a quarter of seaborne liquefied natural gas exports.
