ISLAMABAD: United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday spoke with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over phone and discussed with him promoting “a durable peace between Israel and Iran,” the US State Department said, with the Pakistan premier saying that Islamabad would continue to play a “constructive role” for peace in the Middle East.
The 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13 Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and military leadership, raised alarms in a region that was already on edge since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
The Israeli strikes came at a time when Iranian officials were engaged in nuclear negotiations with the US and the conflict worsened after the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22. President Donald Trump claimed the strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program by years.
Pakistan has remained engaged in talks with regional partners like Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and Qatar to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East after Iran conducted retaliatory strikes on a US base in Qatar, raising fears the conflict could draw in other regional states.
“Secretary Rubio emphasized Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement after Rubio-Sharif call. “The two leaders acknowledged the importance of working together to promote a durable peace between Israel and Iran and maintaining regional stability.”
