Ishaq Dar, IAEA Chief Grossi Back Islamabad MoU to Defuse Regional Tensions
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi have agreed that implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding remains the best available course for reducing regional tensions, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
Dar spoke with Grossi late Monday as the two officials reviewed the evolving regional situation. According to the Foreign Office, both agreed that implementing the Islamabad MoU “remained the best course of action to defuse tensions”. Grossi also offered IAEA technical support should it be required.
The conversation comes as Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts aimed at easing the confrontation between Iran and the United States, which has affected regional security, energy markets and maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that the Islamabad MoU remains a viable framework for returning the parties to diplomacy. In July, the Foreign Office described it as an “enduring framework” for peace, mutual respect and shared prosperity, while acknowledging that its implementation had faced significant challenges.
The MoU also provides the basis for a wider diplomatic process involving Pakistan and Qatar as mediators.
Under subsequent arrangements reached during high-level talks in Switzerland, Iran and the United States participated alongside Pakistan and Qatar in discussions built on the Islamabad framework. The parties agreed to establish a high-level committee providing political oversight, with working groups dealing with nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution.
That background makes Grossi’s involvement particularly significant. As head of the IAEA, his potential technical role would relate to nuclear matters falling within the agency’s mandate rather than the broader political negotiations.
The Foreign Office did not announce a new negotiating round or say that Iran and the United States had agreed to immediately return to talks. Grossi’s technical assistance was described as an offer “should the need arise.”
Pakistan has continued to advocate dialogue despite renewed regional escalation. Earlier this month, the Foreign Office said Islamabad remained engaged with other regional states in attempts to resolve the US-Iran standoff and described the understanding reached under the Islamabad MoU as the “most viable pathway” toward lasting regional peace and stability.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central concern. Pakistan has warned that instability around the strategic waterway affects not only regional states but also developing economies dependent on stable energy supplies, international trade and food-security networks.
During his conversation with Grossi, Dar also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, international law and international treaties. He highlighted the importance of the United Nations system in advancing global peace and development.
Dar additionally wished Grossi well in his campaign for the post of United Nations secretary-general, according to the Foreign Office.
The latest exchange signals continued diplomatic support for the Islamabad framework, but it does not yet represent confirmation of a renewed US-Iran negotiating process. Any substantive breakthrough would require the parties themselves to resume implementation and technical-level engagement.
For Pakistan, the immediate objective remains preventing further escalation while keeping an existing diplomatic framework available for a return to negotiations.
