ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday to discuss renewed tensions in the Middle East, the Pakistani foreign office said amid a fresh exchange of attacks between Washington and Tehran.
Malki called on Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over” and that he did not want to engage with Tehran further.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that they had targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after the US launched a wave of military strikes on Iran Tuesday night. Washington said the strikes were in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They exchanged views on the latest regional developments following the signing of the Islamabad MoU and emphasized advancing collective efforts aimed at facilitating dialogue and diplomacy,” the foreign office said about Dar’s meeting with Malki.
The foreign office said Malki appreciated Pakistan’s continued efforts for regional peace and security, including through the R-4 [Regional Four] diplomatic alliance and consultation forum comprising Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Egypt. He also appreciated Pakistan’s role in mediating between the US and Iran.
“They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations in all areas of mutual interest,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan has played a leading role in mediating between Washington and Tehran ever since the two sides engaged in conflict in February.
Pakistan brokered a fragile ceasefire between them after months of fighting in April and facilitated the first round of peace talks held in Islamabad in April. Pakistan also helped the two sides sign the Islamabad MoU in June and has relayed peace proposals and messages between both sides.
The ceasefire was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume bombing unless Iran agrees to “make a deal.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that under the terms of the interim ceasefire memorandum, negotiations on the final deal would “not commence if threats continue.”
