Pakistan Remains Optimistic About Renewed US-Iran Talks

PUKMEDIA

The war between US and Iran.

Despite renewed tensions between Iran and the United States, Pakistan, which has played a mediating role between the two sides, said it remained hopeful that Washington and Tehran would return to the negotiating table.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andarabi expressed concern over the latest US-Iranian strikes, describing the escalation as “undesirable”.

He nevertheless stressed that Islamabad would remain committed to dialogue and diplomacy, reiterating Pakistan’s optimism that both sides would resume negotiations.

Andarabi said Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran last month had generated “significant momentum” in efforts to address the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that, despite the latest escalation, Pakistan remained committed to encouraging dialogue and diplomatic efforts to find a solution.

The comments came after the United States and Iran resumed direct military confrontation following their most intense exchange of fire in weeks, with Washington warning of further strikes.

US Central Command said it had carried out a series of attacks on targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including air-defence systems, radar installations, naval assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. US officials said around 100 targets had been struck inside Iran.

Iranian sources, meanwhile, reported attacks against US bases in Iraq, Jordan and Bahrain. The three countries said their air-defence systems had intercepted the incoming missiles and drones.

The latest exchange marked the first major fighting since July, ending a period of relative calm during which both sides had largely refrained from direct attacks, although efforts to revive negotiations had remained limited.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reiterated Tehran’s readiness to return to implementing the memorandum of understanding signed in June.

The conflict has further damaged Iran’s already fragile economy and weakened its conventional military capabilities. In the United States, rising fuel prices linked to the conflict could create political difficulties for President Donald Trump ahead of November’s congressional elections.

Reuters has also reported concerns over the US military’s consumption of a significant portion of its global stockpile of long-range precision-guided missiles, potentially affecting its readiness for future conflicts.

The renewed hostilities have been accompanied by increasingly defiant rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran, raising concerns that the latest escalation could lead to further military confrontation.


PUKMEDIA