Pakistan, Kuwait call for de-escalation amid worsening US-Iran conflict

Pakistan and Kuwait on Saturday stressed the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, while calling on all parties to exercise restraint.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, during which the two leaders discussed the latest developments in the region.

“Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah shared Kuwait’s grave concerns over continued attacks on its territory,” the statement said, adding that he hoped all parties would exercise restraint and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding would be fully implemented.

He also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive and mediating role in promoting dialogue and regional stability.

During the conversation, Dar highlighted the urgent need for de-escalation, stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and stressed that maintaining regional peace and security must remain the top priority.

He also stressed the importance of respecting ceasefire commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and avoiding any action that could further escalate tensions.

The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact on issues of common interest.

Read: Iran suspended implementation of Islamabad MoU: Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi

The conversation came as Iran launched strikes against US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, while an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the conflict would enter a more “aggressive” and “destructive” phase.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said that “one of the vital sites of the oil sector was subjected to brutal and repeated Iranian attacks, resulting in a number of injuries and significant material losses,” according to the statement. Al Jazeera.

“The injured received medical assistance and the site was evacuated, while the response to the attack is managed in coordination with relevant state authorities,” the statement said. KUNA press agency.

Separately, Kuwait Airways announced that takeoff and landing operations at Kuwait International Airport have been temporarily suspended, adding that most of its flights have been rescheduled due to this measure.

“Most flights have been postponed due to the temporary suspension of takeoffs and landings at Kuwait International Airport due to Iranian aggression,” the airline said in a statement released by KUNA.

Iran launched new attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf on Saturday after a seventh straight night of U.S. strikes targeting Iranian military sites, including logistical infrastructure, escalating the conflict a week after the collapse of a fragile ceasefire deal.

Read also: Iran renews its attacks against Gulf States after another night of US strikes

Both sides have also targeted maritime traffic, with the United States saying it was enforcing a naval blockade, while Iran said it was targeting ships that violated its rules governing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

Oil prices climbed more than 4% on Friday to their highest level in more than a month, increasing political pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump as his Republican Party seeks to retain control of November’s congressional elections.

Washington and Tehran have continued to test the limits of escalation since the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement last week, raising concerns about a return to full-scale war.

Former IRGC commander-in-chief Mohsen Rezaei said Saturday morning that “diplomacy and negotiations, as well as the war, are over.”

“If America continues the war in the next 2-3 days, we will enter the phase of a ‘large-scale invasion and annihilation’ of the enemy,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern about the escalation, particularly “attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and the region,” his spokesperson said.