Pakistani and Egyptian foreign ministers reaffirmed on Sunday that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only way forward to address all issues, holding a phone call as regional developments were discussed.
Diplomatic channels across West Asia saw a surge of high-level telephone consultations over the weekend as ministers worked to contain fallout from the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his regional counterparts to address the deteriorating security situation, highlighting multilateral cooperation among Muslim-majority nations. During the weekend, Ishaq Dar also held separate conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss regional and international developments, focusing specifically on the situation in Gaza and Palestine ahead of the Baghdad sessions.
Islamabad and Tehran Coordinate on Regional Peace Ahead of Baghdad Meetings
As foreign ministers gathered in Iraq for the 52nd session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers on October 17 and 18, Pakistani leadership maintained active contacts with both Tehran and Cairo. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi spoke directly with Dar on Sunday to review the evolving security situation across the region. Araghchi traveled to Baghdad to attend the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The discussions between Islamabad and Tehran emphasized that negotiations must be paired with military deterrence to establish lasting stability.
The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and the ongoing OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad. DPM/FM underscored the importance of continued dialogue and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan
The diplomatic outreach follows months of intermittent cross-border strikes that began after joint United States and Israel military operations against Iran on February 28. Although an April ceasefire briefly paused hostilities, subsequent negotiations stalled despite the signing of a framework agreement in June. Additional diplomatic strains persisted as Iranian leadership maintained that Washington had failed to satisfy all conditions necessary for opening the strait.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry Stresses Rejection of Threats to Gulf State Security
In a separate telephone conversation on Sunday, Dar conferred with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to discuss bilateral relations and regional stability. Abdelatty firmly rejected any security threats directed at Gulf nations, emphasizing that their security is an integral part of Egypt’s national security.
The Egyptian foreign minister also condemned the use of straits and maritime routes as tools of pressure or escalation. Iranian officials recently acknowledged that negotiations were stalled because Washington had not responded to all seven conditions for opening the strait.
Coordination Through the R-4 Mechanism and Regional Multilateralism
Beyond bilateral calls, the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Egypt reviewed preparations for the next gathering of the R-4 grouping, an alliance uniting Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia. The four nations utilize the framework to harmonize diplomatic positions and manage regional crises. Their previous ministerial consultations occurred on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, where participants addressed attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and emphasized multilateral stability.
Cairo and Islamabad agreed to intensify consultations through this multilateral mechanism to calm West Asia tensions. Both capitals stressed that a return to structured negotiations remains the only viable path to prevent further escalation and limit the economic fallout affecting global energy markets.