Islamabad MoU 'only way forward' to end US-Iran conflict: Dar

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the "sincere implementation" of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is the "only way forward" to resolve the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Kyrgyzstan. Abbas Araghchi, Tehran's top diplomat, joined Dar on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, where the two engaged in what Pakistan's Foreign Ministry characterized as a "warm exchange" regarding bilateral relations and regional security developments.

Dar stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remained essential to promoting peace and stability across the broader region. He also underlined that the "sincere implementation by both parties to the conflict of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding of June 2026 remains the only way forward," according to the ministry's statement on US social media company X. The ministers reaffirmed the importance of sustained engagement between Islamabad and Tehran amid the current regional tensions.

Mediation Efforts

The Islamabad MoU was reached in June as part of diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities between Washington and Tehran and establish a framework for de-escalation. Pakistan has sought to maintain diplomatic engagement with both sides and has repeatedly called for differences to be resolved through negotiations rather than military action, positioning itself as a neutral broker in the crisis.

Tuesday's meeting came as regional leaders and senior officials gathered in the Kyrgyz capital to discuss security cooperation and economic integration within the SCO framework. The summit provided a venue for peripheral diplomacy on the protracted conflict, which has strained global energy markets and threatened maritime navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.