Pakistan Pursues Diplomacy to Resolve Strait of Hormuz Standoff

The Government of Pakistan is pursuing diplomatic efforts with regional partners to reduce tensions in the Gulf and Middle East, specifically regarding a military standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss developments in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Palestine, and Occupied East Jerusalem.

The diplomatic push follows a period of escalation in which the United States carried out strikes inside Iran, prompting Tehran to target U.S. military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The crisis stems from the stalling of a June 18 framework agreement between Washington and Tehran due to disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi stated that easing regional tensions would create a conducive environment for the United States and Iran to return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of regional disputes during a press briefing in Islamabad.