Iranian president backs Islamabad’s mediation role

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Iran’s foreign policy is focused on expanding cooperation with Muslim and neighbouring countries across all areas of engagement.

In a post on X platform uploaded today, President Masoud Pezeshkian has appreciated Pakistan’s “effective efforts” to help reach an agreement between Iran and the United States, in remarks seen as an implicit confirmation that a Pakistani-mediated understanding has been achieved. The Iranian President thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his initiative and effective efforts to reach a peace agreement with the United States.

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In his post on social media, Pezeshkian said recent discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had reinforced Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy.

He also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s “humanitarian stance” and praised Pakistan for its initiative and “effective efforts” in supporting progress toward an agreement.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz and the Iranian president held a telephone conversation in which the two leaders exchanged Eid-ul-Azha greetings and discussed the regional situation. The conversation lasted nearly 30 minutes, during which both leaders conveyed good wishes for the people of their respective countries and the wider Islamic world.

The prime minister expressed sorrow over the loss of Iranian lives during the present crisis and reaffirmed solidarity with the Iranian leadership and people.

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Shehbaz Sharif said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had made tireless efforts for peace in the region and expressed hope that a peace agreement would soon be reached in accordance with the dignity of the Iranian nation. He said Pakistan, as a brotherly and neighbouring country, would always stand by Iran and that both countries faced a brighter future once peace was restored.

During the call, President Pezeshkian congratulated the friendly and brotherly government and people of Pakistan on Eid- ul-Azha and appreciated Islamabad’s constructive and responsible role in supporting diplomatic initiatives and efforts aimed at reducing tensions and ending the ongoing conflicts and crises in the region.

Pezeshkian also emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination among Islamic countries in order to protect the stability, security, and common interests of the Islamic world.