ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have raised alarm over the fast-escalating situation in the Middle East following coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
“Both leaders expressed deep concern over the unfolding regional developments, and agreed to remain in close contact on the evolving situation,” the ministry said.
The call came amid heightened regional tensions after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Iran.
Earlier on Saturday, Dar also spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to review the situation in Iran and the wider region.
As per the Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar “strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran” and called for an immediate halt to escalation.
The statement said that he urged the urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the crisis.
Iran has said the strikes violated international law and has called on the United Nations Security Council to take action.
Tehran maintains that its response is a legitimate act of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The escalation has triggered widespread concern across the region.
Airspace closures in several Middle Eastern countries disrupted commercial aviation, while governments advised their nationals to exercise caution.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, said there was “intermittent and serious communication disruption” in Iran, making it difficult for Pakistani nationals to connect with families through social media. He said direct telephone lines were partially working.
The Pakistani embassy in Qatar also urged its citizens to remain indoors and exercise caution, providing emergency contact numbers.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, deplored the strikes by Israel and the United States and the subsequent Iranian retaliation.
He called on all parties to exercise restraint and return to negotiations, warning that civilians would bear the brunt of further escalation.
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