- Parties to war in Iran urged to prevent spread of conflict: FO.
- China and Pakistan call for protecting the security of shipping lanes.
- Parties to the Iranian war have been urged to stop attacks on civilian targets.
Pakistan and China have jointly called on the United States, Israel and Iran to cease hostilities and begin “peace talks as soon as possible” to end the Middle East conflict.
The call followed a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The more than month-long war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28 and has affected the entire Middle East. The conflict has also had serious economic consequences, with Iran’s effective blockade of oil and gas shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz since the attacks began, causing economic challenges around the world.
During the meeting, both sides called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities” and to do everything possible to prevent the conflict from spreading, urging humanitarian aid to be allowed into all war-affected areas.
The high-level bilateral meeting comes as Islamabad has intensified its efforts to end the US-Israeli war against Iran.
In this regard, Pakistan hosted key regional ministers – from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt – and relayed messages between Washington and Tehran.
After the quadrilateral meeting in Islamabad, FO said Dar and Yi would meet in Beijing to review bilateral relations and discuss regional and mutual issues.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and China, following the meeting between the two foreign ministers, called for the immediate start of dialogue, while emphasizing that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf States must be safeguarded.
“Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable options to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committed to peacefully resolving differences and refraining from the use or threat of force during peace talks,” they said.
Calling for the security of non-military targets, the two neighboring countries called on parties to the Middle East conflict “to immediately cease attacks against civilians and non-military targets” and to fully adhere to international humanitarian law.
They also urged an end to attacks on important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and electricity facilities, as well as peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
Calling the Strait of Hormuz an important global shipping route for goods and energy, China and Pakistan called for protecting the safety of ships and crew members stuck in the waterway, and “enabling the rapid and safe passage of civil and commercial vessels.”
They also stressed the need to restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, the two countries called for efforts to “practice true multilateralism” to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations.
They urged the parties to the war in Iran to support the conclusion of an agreement aimed at establishing a comprehensive peace framework and “achieving lasting peace.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told aides he was prepared to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed and to abandon a complex operation aimed at reopening it at a later date, the US president said. The Wall Street Journal ” reported Monday, citing administration officials.
On Sunday, DPM Dar said a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt called for an immediate and permanent end to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
In a televised address after the meeting in Islamabad, he said Pakistan hosted the talks to discuss a range of issues, including efforts to ease growing regional tensions caused by the war in Iran.
