Dar, Araghchi reaffirm commitment to diplomacy, regional stability

Foreign ministers agree to maintain close coordination, regular consultations amid US air strikes on Iran

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday held a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers' (SCO-CFM) meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

According to a post by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X, the two ministers "reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran." The ministers reviewed the evolving regional situation, reaffirming their commitment to working together for regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

It said Dar "expressed deep concern over recent regional tensions and underscored the importance of dialogue, restraint, de-escalation by all sides, and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting peace and stability."

The foreign minister also "emphasised the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of June 2026," MoFA added.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi @Araghchi, on the sidelines of the SCO CFM Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic.

The two Ministers reaffirmed the close and… pic.twitter.com/VTldfSCrE2

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 24, 2026

Araghchi, on the other hand, "appreciated Pakistan's continued diplomatic support and constructive efforts in promoting regional peace and security," MoFA said.

It added that the Iranian foreign minister "also thanked Pakistan for facilitating the safe return of Iranian fishermen and crew members, including those from vessels interdicted by the United States, and for its close coordination with the Iranian, US, and other relevant authorities to ensure their safe transit through Pakistan and return to Iran."

According to MoFA, Dar and Araghchi agreed to maintain close coordination and regular consultations on issues of mutual interest, reaffirming their joint commitment to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

The meeting came two weeks after the effective collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war between the US and Iran. The US military launched air strikes on Islamic Republic late on Thursday and early on Friday, for a 13th consecutive night of attacks, prompting Iran to fire at neighbouring Arab countries hosting American bases.

On both Thursday and Friday nights, Iranian state media said missiles struck Qeshm Island on the Strait of Hormuz, the virtually closed waterway that is the focus of a war well into its fifth month that has killed thousands and fanned fears of a global economic downturn.

US President Donald Trump vowed "major military punishment" for Iran and its Houthi allies after the Yemeni fighters struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116969243226176328

After the Houthis said they had struck the two tankers on Thursday, Trump said he would hold Iran accountable for any further attacks by the fighters. The Houthis, who control northern and western Yemen, said they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which has diverted millions of barrels of oil each day by pipeline to the Red Sea to skirt Iran's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

"If they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves," Trump wrote on social media.

Read More: Why has the Iran-US ceasefire memorandum frayed?

The president also told Axios he was considering re-launching major combat operations in Iran and was close to a decision. "They haven't received enough pain yet," the news outlet quoted Trump as saying.

On social media, Trump said "any and all damages done" to cargo ships would be paid for with "Iranian Money," referring to frozen Iranian assets held by the US, but without saying how.

Araghchi responded with a warning on X, saying, "Seizing another nation's assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent."

Seizing another nation's assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent.

Those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe. Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 24, 2026

No one's assets were safe once governments normalised such confiscation, he added. "Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful."