Dar stresses importance of uninterrupted energy supplies in phone call with Iran's FM Araghchi

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday to stress the significance of "uninterrupted energy supplies" and the "safe and expeditious passage of ships". The Foreign Office noted that they discussed recent regional developments, with Dar emphasizing that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable solutions for peace and stability in the region.

Both ministers agreed to maintain close cooperation and meet in New York during the upcoming UN General Assembly. The conversation took place against a backdrop of worries about potential disruptions to global trade and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. Iran's control of the Hormuz since the US invasion on February 28 has already affected Middle Eastern oil exports, and fears of worsening disruptions have increased due to the Houthis' takeover of Yemen's Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab strait, declaring a maritime blockade on Riyadh.

Pakistan condemned Houthi attacks on merchant ships in Bab al-Mandab and urged their immediate end, linking disruptions and attacks to energy prices and global food security. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, noted that Pakistan acted as a mediator between Iran and the United States following the Iran-US hostilities outbreak.