Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Sunday that Pakistan received Iran’s response to a US proposal to end the war in the region.
Speaking at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate Marka-i-Haq, the premier mentioned Pakistan’s efforts for de-escalation between the US and Iran, stating that Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had informed him “a while ago” that Pakistan has received Iran’s response.
Moreover, Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday morning received a telephone call from Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Jassim Al Thani, during which the two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and ongoing peace efforts in the region.
During their warm and cordial conversation, both leaders exchanged views on recent developments and reviewed progress regarding peace initiatives aimed at promoting regional stability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed Pakistan’s sincere appreciation for Qatar’s continued and steadfast support for Pakistan’s peace initiatives, reaffirming the strong brotherly relations between the two countries.
Both sides underscored the importance of constructive engagement by all parties to ensure the success of ongoing peace efforts and maintain regional harmony.
The prime minister conveyed his warm regards to Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and said he was looking forward to the Amir’s upcoming visit to Pakistan.
Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war.
On Sunday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to target US sites in the Middle East and “enemy ships” if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported.
“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” it said, a day after US attacks against two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported that the head of the military central command, Ali Abdollahi, had met with the country’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since his appointment in March.
Khamenei issued “new directives and guidance for the continuation of operations to confront the enemy”, state TV said, without specifying when the meeting took place.
The conflict between the US and Iran began more than two months ago when the US and Israel launched strikes in Iran on February 28.
While a deal for a complete end to the war is yet to happen, the hostilities have largely ceased since the two sides agreed on a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8.