Iran urges regional states to confront US, Israeli ‘lawlessness’ as Islamabad hosts summit 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi the international community, especially regional countries, have a responsibility to confront the collapse of international legal norms as a result of the lawlessness of the United States and Israeli regime and their crimes against humanity.

In a phone conversation on Saturday, Araghchi and his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Ishaq Dar reviewed the latest regional developments amid the continued US-Israeli military aggression against Iran, which has entered its fifth week.

Araghchi condemned crimes committed by the US and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, particularly attacks targeting public infrastructure, schools, hospitals, scientific centers, and residential areas.

The US and Israel started a fresh round of unlawful military aggression on Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country. The attacks led to the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, hundreds of Iranian civilians, including women and children, as well as military commanders.

Iran has carried out extensive retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US interests in the region.

For his part, Ishaq Dar, who also serves as Pakistani deputy prime minister, reiterated Islamabad’s principled stance on condemning military aggression against Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also briefed Araghchi on Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to stop the war, including plans to host a quadrilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad.

Ishaq Dar expressed hope that goodwill efforts and cooperation among regional countries would put an immediate end to the US-Israel war, paving the way for the restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosts a four-sided meeting in the presence of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. Ishaq Dar chairs the meeting.

Senior officials from regional countries are taking part in the diplomatic meeting, opened in Islamabad on Sunday, to discuss ways to ease tensions in the US-Israel war against Iran.

The Pakistani foreign minister late on Saturday announced that Iran has agreed to allow “20 more ships under the Pakistani flag” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz; two ships will cross the Strait daily.

In a post on his X account, Ishaq Dar described Iran’s move as “a welcome and constructive gesture” which deserves appreciation.

“It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region,” he wrote.

The top Pakistani diplomat also said the “positive announcement marks a meaningful step toward peace and will strengthen our collective efforts in that direction.”

In a telephone conversation with the Pakistani prime minister on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned against the Israeli regime’s “vicious” plans to expand the ongoing war with the Islamic Republic to countries across the region.

Pezeshkian said regional countries should remain cautious to ensure that their territory is not used by aggressors to attack other Muslim countries.

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