ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday urged both Iran and South Korea to exercise restraint and resolve their differences under international law.

The statement was issued after South Korea moved its forces near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran seized its oil tanker along with the crew on Monday.

“We have noted the development [in the Strait of Hormuz]. We urge all sides to exercise restraint,” the foreign office spokesman, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, said in a press briefing in Islamabad.

“All the differences pertaining to maritime affairs should be resolved as per international laws,” he added.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard stormed the South Korean tanker earlier this week and forcefully took it to an Iranian port nearby.

The South Korean Navy sent its destroyer to the area amid escalating tensions. A South Korean delegation also left for Iran on Thursday to negotiate an early release of the oil tanker and its crew.

“A dangerous situation is developing in the area that must wisely be addressed in this early stage. Any disturbance in this part of the world, which contributes about 65 percent to the world oil trade, should be a matter of grave concern. The stakes are high for every country,” retired naval officer and maritime affairs expert, Rear Admiral Saleem Akhtar, told Arab News.

He added that the development was particularly challenging for Pakistan due to its close proximity to the Strait of Hormuz.

“Our 95 percent of the trade comes from this place,” he said. “If it escalates, it can be a very dangerous situation for Pakistan. It will affect our merchant ships and make trade far more expensive and difficult.”

Pakistan should use its close relations with Iran to deescalate the situation and mediate, Akhtar suggested.

Another maritime affairs expert, Vice Admiral Khan Hasham bin Saddique, said it was a good sign that South Korea had sent its delegation to Iran to diplomatically resolve the issue. 

“The Strait of Hormuz is extremely important for the whole region. A diplomatic solution to the problem is good for everyone in the neighborhood and since peace in this area is vital to international trade,” he told Arab News.