Pakistan Urges Restraint as US-Iran Clashes Jeopardize Diplomatic Momentum

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday called for restraint and continued diplomatic engagement as escalating military exchanges between the United States and Iran threaten to derail months of international efforts aimed at securing a negotiated settlement and preventing a broader Middle East conflict.

The appeal followed a fresh escalation involving U.S. military action against Iranian targets and subsequent Iranian retaliation against U.S.-linked facilities in the region, raising concerns over regional stability, global energy supplies, and the viability of ongoing peace negotiations.

Pakistan has played a key role in mediation efforts since the conflict began earlier this year, maintaining diplomatic channels with both Washington and Tehran to facilitate dialogue on ending hostilities and addressing disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and other unresolved issues.

During a U.N. Security Council briefing on non-proliferation, Pakistan’s U.N. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to peaceful resolution. “Pakistan reaffirms its support for resolving all outstanding issues, including the Iran nuclear issue, through peaceful means, diplomatic engagement, and sustained dialogue,” he said.

Ahmad emphasized that diplomacy must remain the cornerstone of conflict resolution, urging all parties to uphold dialogue as a guiding principle. “As we work earnestly toward a peaceful diplomatic solution, we respectfully urge all sides to give peace a little more chance,” he added.

The remarks were made during a Security Council session of the committee monitoring U.N. sanctions on Iran’s nuclear activities under Resolution 1737.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks on a U.S. base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf and Kuwait, in response to U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz following the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter.

These exchanges represent one of the most significant escalations since a ceasefire in April. The violence underscores growing uncertainty around a potential deal to end the war initiated by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, during which Iran targeted Gulf states hosting U.S. troops and effectively disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint.

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