Pakistan Urges US and Iran to Show Restraint as Fighting Escalates Despite Ceasefire Deal
In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office urged "all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)" and called on "all parties to exercise restraint" to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Pakistan on Wednesday called on the United States and Iran to exercise restraint and honor the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), after renewed fighting shattered a fragile ceasefire and further escalated tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office urged "all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)" and called on "all parties to exercise restraint" to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.
The appeal came as Iranian state television reported that the latest U.S. airstrikes on southern Iran killed eight members of the country's military.
According to the broadcaster, the casualties occurred following what it described as "criminal aggression" by the "US terrorist army" targeting areas in southern Iran.
"Eight courageous members of the air and naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran's military in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr fell as martyrs," state television said, citing a military statement.
The reported deaths followed a series of U.S. retaliatory strikes launched on Tuesday against Iranian military targets after Tehran allegedly attacked commercial shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were carried out in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the vital waterway, describing Tehran's actions as a "clear violation" of the ceasefire agreed under last month's Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. CENTCOM said the operation was intended to impose "heavy costs" for targeting civilian-crewed ships in international waters.
The latest hostilities followed the collapse of a week-long arrangement between Washington and Tehran aimed at halting attacks in the strategic shipping corridor. According to U.S. officials cited by Axios, Iran fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the strait on Monday night.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed that multiple commercial ships were struck by projectiles in separate incidents, including a tanker near the Omani coast that caught fire. The vessels sustained significant damage, though no casualties were initially reported.
The renewed exchange of military strikes has intensified tensions across the Gulf, fueling concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime trade routes and a critical artery for global energy supplies.