ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation on Thursday with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid recent military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region, saying Washington was not adhering to the Pakistan-brokered interim peace framework, according to Iranian state media.
The conversation came after the US launched fresh strikes on Iran and Tehran responded by targeting US-allied countries in the Middle East, raising fears that the interim Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding could unravel.
The agreement, signed last month after weeks of Pakistani mediation, provides a 60-day framework for the US and Iran to negotiate a permanent settlement following a war that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on Feb. 28 and ended with a ceasefire on April 8.
According to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Araghchi condemned the latest US attacks as violations of both the United Nations Charter and the Islamabad MoU.
“Statements by US officials indicating they are not adhering to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding are a clear sign of a breach of the agreement and the continuation of Washington’s war-mongering policies,” IRNA quoted Araghchi as telling Munir.
The Iranian foreign minister also reaffirmed his country’s determination to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, warning against any further “adventurism” by the US military.
Pakistan has not publicly commented on the conversation, and its military has released no readout of the call. Islamabad has remained largely tight-lipped about its role in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran, disclosing few details of contacts between the two sides throughout the mediation process.
Pakistan emerged as a key intermediary after hosting direct talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Islamabad earlier this year. While those negotiations failed to produce an immediate breakthrough, they paved the way for continued engagement that culminated in last month’s interim peace agreement.
The recent exchanges between the US and Iran has once again put the ceasefire came under renewed strain.
The US said its latest strikes were launched in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire framework and escalating the conflict.
Pakistan has consistently maintained its role as a facilitator of dialogue between Washington and Tehran while avoiding public discussion of the negotiations in an effort to prevent a broader regional war.
