Pakistan Says Dialogue Remains Best Path as US-Iran Fighting Escalates
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan said on Wednesday it remained hopeful that diplomacy could help resolve the escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran, reaffirming its commitment to dialogue as renewed military exchanges threaten wider instability across the Middle East.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Islamabad would continue working with regional partners despite the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran.
“Despite recent escalations, we remain hopeful and we will continue to strive for dialogue and diplomacy,” Andrabi told a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
The comments came as the United States and Iran exchanged fresh attacks after a period of reduced hostilities. US forces struck Iranian military targets, including air-defence, radar and communications infrastructure, while Iran responded with missiles and drones directed at US facilities across several regional countries.
The escalation has renewed concerns over regional security and commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices have risen on fears of prolonged supply disruption.
Pakistan Backs Islamabad MoU
Andrabi said Pakistan continued to regard the understanding reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as the most viable route towards a negotiated settlement.
He said Islamabad had emphasised that the framework offered “the most viable pathway towards lasting peace and stability in the region.”
Pakistan has been involved in diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran for several months. The Islamabad framework and subsequent Pakistan-Qatar diplomatic efforts were intended to create a mechanism through which the parties could move from military confrontation towards negotiations.
The framework has faced repeated setbacks as ceasefire efforts and talks have been overtaken by renewed military escalation.
Pakistan has nevertheless maintained that the diplomatic mechanism remains relevant rather than formally dead. In July, the Foreign Office said the peace process had been challenged by the “logic of escalation” but argued that the Islamabad MoU could provide a template whenever the parties decided to return to negotiations.
That remains a Pakistani diplomatic assessment, rather than evidence that Washington and Tehran have currently agreed to resume formal negotiations.
Shehbaz Meets Iranian President
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the evolving regional situation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, according to the Foreign Office.
Andrabi said Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to pursuing peace through restraint, dialogue and diplomacy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the SCO gathering in Bishkek.
The contacts underline Islamabad’s continuing engagement with Tehran as Pakistan attempts to preserve channels for negotiations despite renewed fighting.
Iran itself has not entirely closed the door to diplomacy. Pezeshkian said on September 1 that Tehran would reciprocate if Washington honoured commitments under the interim arrangement, adding that peace remained in the interests of all sides.
The existence of diplomatic contacts, however, should not be interpreted as confirmation that a new ceasefire or comprehensive agreement is imminent.
Asim Munir’s Iran Visit Part of Diplomatic Push
The Foreign Office also linked last week’s visit to Iran by Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to Pakistan’s efforts to help end the confrontation.
Andrabi said discussions during the visit focused particularly on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, promote regional de-escalation, break the military stalemate and explore a negotiated settlement.
According to the spokesperson, the visit generated diplomatic momentum that was followed by engagements involving Oman and Qatar.
Pakistan’s description of the visit as generating momentum reflects Islamabad’s assessment of its diplomatic impact. It does not establish that the visit produced a binding agreement between Iran and the United States.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Central Concern
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important elements of the crisis.
Before the latest disruption, the waterway handled roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption, making sustained restrictions a significant threat to international energy supplies.
Renewed US strikes and Iranian retaliation have again increased concerns about commercial shipping.
Brent crude rose to $95.68 per barrel on Wednesday, while US West Texas Intermediate reached $90.83, as markets reacted to the latest military exchanges and the possibility of further disruption.
For Pakistan, which depends heavily on imported energy, instability in Gulf shipping routes carries significant economic implications beyond the immediate diplomatic and security concerns.
Regional Diplomacy Continues
Andrabi said the Gulf and Middle East situation was also discussed during meetings in Istanbul around the inaugural gathering under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The three countries reaffirmed support for regional peace, stability, restraint and the peaceful resolution of crises, according to the Foreign Office.
The agreement itself is a defence arrangement and should not be conflated with Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the United States. Islamabad has previously described it as defensive in nature.
Pakistan’s diplomatic position therefore combines its security relationships with regional partners with a stated commitment to maintaining engagement with Tehran and advocating negotiations with Washington.
Fresh Fighting Tests Pakistan’s Diplomatic Strategy
The latest military escalation presents a renewed challenge to Islamabad’s efforts.
The US military said it completed another wave of strikes against IRGC targets, including air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against US assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq.
Iranian claims of significant American casualties remain disputed. US officials said there were no American casualties in the latest attack in Jordan, while regional states reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.
The renewed confrontation does not mean Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative has formally ended, but it does demonstrate how far the parties currently remain from a durable settlement.
Islamabad’s position is that the framework already exists and can be revived when Washington and Tehran are prepared to return to negotiations.
That approach is consistent with the Foreign Office’s earlier position that the Islamabad MoU remains relevant even when active fighting temporarily overtakes diplomatic engagement.
For now, Pakistan is not announcing a new ceasefire or breakthrough. Instead, the Foreign Office is signalling that Islamabad intends to keep diplomatic channels open and continue advocating a negotiated solution despite the renewed military escalation.
