Pakistan confirmed on Thursday that discussions between the United States and Iran are ongoing with the aim of reducing tensions in the Gulf region. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) alongside the Pakistan-Qatar joint statement remain central frameworks guiding the pursuit of a lasting peace process.
During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi emphasized that amid the current hostilities, dialogue and diplomacy are the only feasible solutions. He stated that Pakistan is making every effort to encourage the involved parties to recommit to the Islamabad MoU.
Andrabi urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint and fully honor their pledge to resume technical-level negotiations. Despite a relative lull in violence over recent days, he warned that the overall security environment in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz remains fragile. He strongly condemned attacks, particularly those carried out by non-state actors targeting Saudi Arabia.
Expressing hope for de-escalation, he reiterated Pakistan’s expectation that the parties will soon return to technical talks. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s foreign ministry and related institutions are fully prepared to manage the complex diplomatic and strategic challenges involved. The country stands ready to contribute effectively using all available diplomatic tools.
Pakistan previously played a key role in brokering a ceasefire agreement between the conflicting sides, laying the foundation for ongoing negotiations toward a permanent resolution. However, talks following the April truce stalled, and the ceasefire collapsed earlier this month, with Iran once again closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for Middle Eastern oil and gas exports.
On Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reported that two oil tankers attempting to pass through the strait with US support turned back after one caught fire. Meanwhile, the US military announced it had conducted a significant wave of strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of Revolutionary Guard sites, including military command centers.
The Guards’ unit in the northwestern province of Zanjan confirmed that three of its members were killed in a US attack there. Iran’s state news agency also reported strikes on multiple locations, including cities in the southwestern Khuzestan province and Qeshm island in the Gulf.
In Jordan, the army reported intercepting five Iranian missiles on Thursday morning, with no casualties resulting. The Revolutionary Guards acknowledged the attack, accusing the US of launching airstrikes from bases in Jordan that killed local residents in Qeshm.
Additionally, Kuwait’s defense ministry condemned a “heinous” Iranian attack targeting a building belonging to a Chinese company in northern Kuwait. The assault resulted in the death of one worker and caused significant material damage.
