TEHRAN: Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araqchi and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, talked over the phone on Thursday night and discussed regional developments.
The two foreign ministers discussed the latest security developments in the South Asian region following the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
Araqchi, referring to his talks with Indian officials, stressed the importance of mutual efforts to de-escalate the situation and reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Foreign Minister outlined the latest developments in the region and reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance, emphasising that the country is not seeking to intensify the conflict.
Earlier this week, Seyed Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan and held important meetings with Pakistani civil and military leadership over bilateral ties and escalations of tensions between India and Pakistan following Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir.
During the meetings, he reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to strengthening its relations with Pakistan and also playing its part in bringing peace and stability in South Asia.
It is pertinent to mention that the tensions between India and Pakistan simmered after India on Tuesday launched air strikes targeting different cities in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s military said India targeted six locations, and at least 31 civilians were killed and 57 others injured in the strikes and cross-border firing along the Line of Control.
Pakistan military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Thursday said that Pakistan’s Armed Forces have successfully shot down 29 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones launched from India, using both soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) measures.
According to ISPR, India resorted to these drone attacks in a state of panic following the destruction of five of its modern aircraft, drones, multiple posts, and casualties in its ranks during its cowardly assault on May 6–7.
