Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have called on the United States and Iran to step back from further military confrontation, with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasising on Sunday that all parties must follow a “path of de-escalation” outlined in the June 2026 Islamabad memorandum of understanding. According to readouts from both foreign ministries, Dar held separate telephone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during which he urged adherence to the diplomatic framework that months earlier had briefly raised hopes of a thaw. The Saudi leadership shared its perspective on continuing mediation and stressed the importance of dialogue, a position echoed by the Maldives in a subsequent call with Dar.

The diplomatic activity followed a sharp escalation in the Persian Gulf. US Central Command confirmed a new wave of strikes against Iranian positions in retaliation for what it described as an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran struck back, and soon afterward Iranian state media reported that the country had closed the critical waterway indefinitely. A senior Iranian parliamentary official declared on social media that Tehran had “taken control of the Strait of Hormuz by force” and would retain it. Moreover, reports from Iranian state media, citing the supreme leader’s office, indicated that former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the exchanges, with his successor vowing revenge—a development that, if confirmed, would mark a profound rupture.

The renewed violence has undercut the tentative peace architecture erected in June. The Islamabad MoU, signed on 18 June with Pakistan and Qatar as mediators, was followed by technical-level talks in Switzerland on 21 June. Even as those efforts stumbled, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already held separate talks with Iranian and Qatari leaders to revive negotiations. In their call, Dar and Prince Faisal agreed that the flare-up “serves no one’s interest and undermines efforts toward regional peace and stability”, according to a Pakistani readout. Saudi Arabia’s emphasis on de-escalation aligns with Riyadh’s long-standing preference for stability in the Gulf, while Islamabad’s mediation role has drawn appreciation from as far as Malé.

The situation remains volatile. With the Strait of Hormuz—a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil supply—now closed by Iran, and Tehran vowing further retaliation, the risk of a broader conflagration has alarmed capitals from Beijing to Brussels. Pakistan, which has positioned itself as an indispensable interlocutor, continues to urge “maximum restraint” and insists that mediation be given time and space. No new talks have been announced, but diplomats say back-channel contacts persist. The UN Security Council has yet to take up the matter formally, though Western diplomats in New York acknowledge that consultations are underway. For now, the Islamabad framework hangs by a thread, its survival dependent on whether Washington and Tehran can be coaxed back from the brink.