Pakistan foreign minister discusses regional situation with Iranian counterpart

Islamabad: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed the situation in West Asia and Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the region with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, officials here said on Monday.

Dar and Araghchi held a telephonic conversation late Sunday night, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“The discussion focused on the regional situation and Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the region,” it said.

Araghchi appreciated Pakistan's constructive role and its mediation efforts between the concerned parties.

Dar, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting constructive engagement, underscoring that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path toward peaceful resolution of issues and achieving lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The development comes after US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a fresh Iranian proposal aimed at ending the conflict, while expressing scepticism about the prospects of a deal.

According to reports, Iran has sent a 14-point proposal via Pakistan in response to a nine-point US proposal.

Pakistan is mediating the peace talks between the US and Iran.

The Iran war, triggered by joint strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, has been on hold since April 8, with one round of peace talks having taken place in Islamabad since then.

Pakistan hosted the first round of direct talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad on April 11, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement to end the war.

On April 21, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.