ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday called for an immediate halt to escalating hostilities and urged the urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, during which the two reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Dar “condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran” and urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, calling for the urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution, the ministry said in a statement.
DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 received a call from FM of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. They reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region.
DPM/FM strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation… pic.twitter.com/G4eKNfzeRg
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 28, 2026
Civilian casualties reported
Meanwhile, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that an Israeli strike targeting a girls’ school in Hormozgan province killed at least 43 students and wounded 63 others.
The Israeli military said it had targeted multiple locations in Tehran where senior Iranian officials were gathered.
“The attack this morning was carried out simultaneously at several sites in Tehran, where senior officials in Iran’s political-security echelon had gathered,” the military said in a statement posted on X.
The developments come amid a widening confrontation after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iranian targets. Iran has responded with missile strikes, intensifying fears of broader regional conflict.
Communication disruptions in Iran
Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, said there were “intermittent and serious communication disruption” across the country.
“I wish to update members of our Pakistani community as well as their families that there is intermittent and serious communication disruption in Iran making it difficult to connect through social media platforms,” he said on X.
He added that direct telephone lines were “partially working”.
I wish to update members of our Pakistani community as well as their families that there is intermittent and serious communication disruption in Iran making it difficult to connect through social media platforms . The direct telephone lines, however , are partially working . I…
— Ambassador Mudassir (@AmbMudassir) February 28, 2026
The Pakistani embassy in Qatar also urged its nationals to exercise caution and remain indoors. It said it remained available for assistance and provided emergency contact numbers.
(1/2) Due to the prevailing situation, members of the Pakistani community in Qatar are advised to exercise caution and stay indoors. Please stay calm and keep yourself informed by following local news and official instructions issued by the Qatari authorities.
— Pakistan Embassy Qatar (@PakinQatar) February 28, 2026
UN urges restraint
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, deplored the strikes by Israel and the United States, as well as Iran’s subsequent retaliation.
“I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran,” Turk said in a statement.
“As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price,” he said.
Turk called for restraint and urged all parties to “see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the negotiating table where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier”.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk deplores military strikes across Iran by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran.
“As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price.” pic.twitter.com/5j1nMVLcSr
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) February 28, 2026
Iran’s foreign minister called on the United Nations and its Security Council to take immediate action over what he described as a violation of international peace and security.
In a statement, the ministry said the airstrikes by what it termed the “Zionist and American regimes” constituted a violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and amounted to armed aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It said Iran’s response was its “legal and legitimate right” under Article 51 of the UN Charter and that its armed forces would use “all their might and resources” to repel the attack.
“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to defend our beloved homeland with all their might,” the statement said.
Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Regarding the military aggression by the Zionist regime and the United States against #IranHeroic and noble people of Iran,
Iranian compatriots,Our sacred and beloved homeland, proud and… https://t.co/kRrzq2SjPk
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIMFA_EN) February 28, 2026
