ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences to Iran over the killing of its top national security official, Dr. Ali Ardeshir Larijani, in Israeli airstrikes, his office said on Wednesday, offering Islamabad’s support to help defuse regional tensions through dialogue.
Larijani, a close confidant of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of the country’s most influential political figures, serving as nuclear negotiator and parliament speaker and playing a key role in the country’s political and security establishment.
His killing comes amid escalating hostilities between Iran, Israel and the United States.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed profound grief over the assassination of senior Iranian leader Dr. Ali Ardeshir Larijani amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran and extended his earnest condolences to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the President’s Secretariat said in a statement.
“Pakistan remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at de-escalation and the promotion of peace and stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating dialogue and diplomatic efforts to help defuse tensions in the region.”
