Pakistan has called on "all parties" in the escalating US-Iran conflict to exercise restraint after a fragile ceasefire that held for nearly three weeks collapsed into a new wave of strikes and counterstrikes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Wednesday that "a renewed conflict is in no one's interest."

Pakistan urged both sides to honor commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), brokered by Pakistan in April, describing it as "an enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond." The statement added that Pakistan "remains ready to continue playing its role" in de-escalation efforts.

The appeal came hours after the US regime carried out a second consecutive night of attacks on Iran, targeting about 90 sites, including coastal radar installations, missile and drone storage facilities, and naval assets. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with drone and missile attacks on US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, including Camp Arifjan and the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Juffair.

Iranian state media reported the deaths of a soldier in Iranshahr and eight other air force and navy personnel in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. The latest exchange followed Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, including a Qatari-owned tanker. In response, Washington reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports, revoking a waiver granted under the MoU.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire "over," described Iranian leaders as "scum" and threatened to reinstate a US naval blockade and target Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal. Later, Trump told reporters Iran had allegedly called seeking a deal but that he was "not sure they're worthy of making a deal."

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged both sides to pursue diplomacy and implement the MoU. Egypt called for restraint, while Kuwait described the attacks on its territory as a "flagrant violation of sovereignty."

Former Pakistani diplomat Jauhar Saleem said the mediation process was under severe strain: "The process is really stressed right now, very fragile. Both sides need to be more flexible, and neither should overplay their cards because that jeopardizes the entire process. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening."

Source: www.aljazeera.com