- DPM Dar and Rubio will review bilateral relations during the meeting: FO.
- Meeting to review regional and global developments: FO.
- DPM Dar to leave for Islamabad later in the day: FO.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will discuss Pakistan’s efforts for Middle East peace with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio tomorrow in Washington, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
During the meeting, Dar and Rubio will review bilateral relations and exchange points of view on regional and global developments of mutual interest, reads a statement issued by the FO.
Discussions will also focus on strengthening cooperation in key priority sectors as well as “Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy,” the FO said.
According to the FO, DPM Dar’s visit to Washington reflected Pakistan’s commitment to continue deepening its long and extensive partnership with the United States.
After completing his official engagements in Washington, Dar is scheduled to leave for Islamabad that same day.
Iran and the United States exchange new attacks
Confirmation of the meeting and its agenda comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following renewed clashes between the United States and Iran.
Iran said it targeted a US air base in Kuwait after US forces attacked what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks, although limited, highlighted the fragility of negotiations to turn the tenuous ceasefire that took effect in early April into an agreement to end the three-month war that has killed thousands of people and reopen the vital sea route.
US Central Command said US forces shot down five Iranian attack drones and attacked a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a sixth drone. Kuwaiti forces later intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward the country, which is home to a large US base.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive and aimed at maintaining the ceasefire,” said a US official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the military operations. Reuters earlier.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked the US base responsible for an early morning attack near Bandar Abbas airport and that any repeat would lead to a “more decisive response”, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Pakistan has been acting as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran since hostilities broke out in the Middle East on February 28.
The conflict erupted after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against US bases across the region.
Fighting stopped on April 8 when Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire between the two sides.
Subsequently, Islamabad hosted delegations from the two countries for peace talks between April 11 and 12; However, the talks concluded without an agreement to permanently end the war.
Despite the stalemate, Pakistan has continued to relay messages between the United States and Iran to help end their long-standing disputes.
—With additional input from Reuters
