In phone call with Iranian FM, Dars call for ‘immediate halt to escalation through diplomacy’
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar (R). Photo: Files
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday strongly condemned the “unwarranted attacks” against Iran hours after the United States and Israel carried out air strikes on the Islamic Republic, pushing the region to the brink of a wider conflict.
FM Dar received a call from Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement posted on its official handle on X. “They reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region,” it added.
DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 received a call from FM of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. They reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region.
DPM/FM strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation… pic.twitter.com/G4eKNfzeRg
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 28, 2026
“DPM/FM strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis,” the FO further stated.
Earlier in the day, the US and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran that pushed the Middle East into renewed military confrontation and further dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the West’s long-standing effort to denuclearise Iran, despite Tehran’s repeated assertions that it will not pursue nuclear weapons.
US strikes are being launched by air and sea, a US official tells Reuters. Speaking to CNN, a US official claims that the strikes are “only on military targets”.
Read More: Iran targets US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE after American, Israeli strikes
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Israeli defence officials state that this operation was planned months ago, with the launch date decided some weeks prior. They added that this attack was coordinated with the US, and the US has planned “several days of attacks” against Iran.
In response, Iran targeted Israel and US bases in the Middle East. Explosions were reported in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that a first wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks had been launched against Israel, warning that all US bases and interests in the region were within Iran’s reach, an Iranian official told Reuters.
