Pakistan urges ‘all parties’ to abide by Mideast ceasefire

Pakistan on Sunday urged “all parties” to abide by the ceasefire in the Middle East, as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran strain the fragile truce.

In a phone call, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas discussed the “rapidly evolving regional situation,” according to a statement from Pakistan‘s Foreign Ministry.

Kallas praised Pakistan‘s “sincere efforts” that led to the signing of the US-Iran framework deal, known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. “However, she expressed serious concerns over the recent ceasefire violations and stressed that channels of communication must remain open,” said the statement.

Dar also emphasized the need for “all parties” to abide by the ceasefire agreement.

The remarks came in the wake of renewed Iranian strikes on US sites located in Bahrain and Kuwait. Bahrain said Sunday that it had “successfully” intercepted and destroyed “a number of” Iranian missile and drone attacks on its territory

Early Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted US positions in the region in response to US strikes on Iran.

Pakistan has played a central mediating role between the US and Iran in ending the war that began on Feb. 28.