ISTANBUL: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday reaffirmed Islamabad’s “unwavering support for Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its right to self-defence under the UN Charter”.
Deputy PM Dar expressed this resolve during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on Sunday, Dar stated in a post on X.
“I reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israel’s unjustified and unlawful attacks on Iran, as well as the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities,” Dar stated.
Met my dear brother, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi @araghchi, today on the sidelines of the 51st OIC CFM in Istanbul. FM Araghchi shared Iran’s perspective on the evolving regional situation.
I reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israel’s unjustified and… pic.twitter.com/z6jPP64CrS
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 22, 2025
Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared Iran’s perspective on the evolving regional situation, Radio Pakistan reported.
The took place after US President Donald Trump announced late on Saturday that the US had carried out air strikes that “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities including the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant along with the Natanz and Isfahan sites which raised tensions in the Middle East.
Besides, Ishaq Dar held a productive meeting with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC CFM in Istanbul.
They discussed the deep-rooted and historic Pak-Egypt ties, bilateral cooperation, the grave situation in Gaza, recent attacks on Iran, and broader regional developments, Radio Pakistan reported.
The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing common goals at all levels – bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally, and continue to work together for peace and security of the region and beyond.
PM Sharif calls Iranian President Pezeshkian
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday. During the telephone conversation, PM Sharif condemned the United States’ strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “a serious violation of international law and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Statute.
PM Sharif reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence and stressed the need to immediately return to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable way forward to prevent further escalation, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people and Government of Iran”, according to Radio Pakistan. He also expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of precious lives and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
PM Sharif expressed concerns that the US strikes targeted facilities that were under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. “These attacks constituted a serious violation of international law and the IAEA Statute,” PM Sharif said as reported by Radio Pakistan.
While noting Iran’s right to self-defence, as enshrined under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the Prime Minister stressed the need to immediately return to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path forward. He also called for urgent collective efforts to de-escalate the situation.
Prime Minister Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to play a constructive role in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation.
President Masoud Pezeshkian conveyed his deep appreciation for Pakistan’s support to Iran. He thanked the Prime Minister, the Government and the people of Pakistan, including the military leadership, for standing in solidarity with the people and Government of Iran, Radio Pakistan reported.
The two leaders emphasised the need and urgency of forging unity among the Ummah at this critical juncture. They also agreed to remain in close contact.
US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’
Addressing a press conference in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on Sunday warned that the US and Israel crossed a major red line in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“They crossed a very big red line by attacking (Iran’s) nuclear facilities,” Araghchi said.
The Iranian Foreign Minister said he was heading to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m going to Moscow this afternoon” to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow,” he said.
“The most dangerous one happened only last night,” Araghchi said.
“Through this action, the United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security,” he said, vowing that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against… US military aggression.”
After the strikes, Trump said Iran “must now agree to end this war.”
But Araghchi said any demand to return to negotiations was “irrelevant.”
“The world must not forget that it was the United States which — in the midst of a process to forge a diplomatic outcome — betrayed diplomacy by supporting the genocidal Israeli regime’s launch of an illegal war of aggression on the Iranian nation,” he said.
“So we were in diplomacy, but we were attacked… They have proved that they are not men of diplomacy, and they only understand the language of threat and force.”
