What happened
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar intensified Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach on Sunday 12 July, urging restraint and de-escalation during a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran threatened the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The Foreign Office said Dar stressed “upon the parties to follow the path of de-escalation and show restraint, as agreed in the Islamabad MoU in June 2026.” It said the two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and agreed to remain in close contact, with Dar reiterating that dialogue and diplomacy remained the “only viable path to resolving disputes and achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.”
The escalation
The appeal followed fresh United States strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship, while Iranian authorities announced they had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and intensified attacks on US military assets and facilities across the Gulf. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they had destroyed a command-and-control centre and drone hangars at a base in US ally Jordan, targeted a US military radar installation in Kuwait, attacked US aircraft carrier support and refuelling platforms in Oman, and destroyed a fighter jet maintenance centre and a command-and-control facility in Qatar.
The Islamabad MoU — a 14-point interim peace deal aimed at ending the war — was signed between the United States and Iran on 18 June, with Pakistan also serving as a signatory in its role as a mediator. The signing had raised hopes of easing tensions as the world grappled with a fuel crunch and the economic fallout caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but a fresh exchange of attacks over the past several days prompted President Donald Trump to declare the ceasefire over.
Wider outreach
Dar also met Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy, who called on him, and the two exchanged views on the latest regional developments. The Foreign Office said they underscored the need to strengthen collective efforts to promote dialogue and diplomacy and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations across all areas of mutual interest.
In a separate meeting, Dar underscored the importance of strengthening Pakistan-United Kingdom relations during talks with Lord Aamer Sarfraz, highlighting that the Pakistani diaspora, including parliamentarians such as Lord Sarfraz, served as a bridge between the two countries.
Why it matters
Pakistan has sought to position itself as a key diplomatic interlocutor throughout the crisis, maintaining channels of communication with both Tehran and Washington while coordinating with regional partners, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Another prolonged conflict would destabilise the Middle East and threaten global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit. The renewed fighting has cast fresh uncertainty over the future of the Islamabad MoU, which had been intended to halt direct military confrontation and open negotiations on sanctions, maritime security and broader regional issues.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 2026-07-12.
- Pakistan Today — "Dar steps up diplomatic push as Middle East crisis deepens"12 July 2026 · Dar's call with Araghchi, the Foreign Office statements, the renewed US-Iran strikes, the Islamabad MoU background and the meetings with the Saudi ambassador and Lord Sarfraz.
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