• Iran war parties urged to prevent conflict from spreading: FO.
• China and Pakistan call for protecting shipping lanes’ security.
• Iran war parties urged to stop attacks on civilian targets.
  

Pakistan and China have jointly called on the United States, Israel, and Iran to cease hostilities and start “peace talks as soon as possible” to end the conflict in the Middle East.

The call came following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.

The more than month-long war between the US, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28 and has affected the wider Middle East. The conflict has also had serious economic consequences, with Iran’s effective blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz since the attacks began, causing economic challenges across the world.

During the huddle, both sides called for the “immediate cessation of hostilities” and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading, urging for allowing humanitarian assistance to all war-affected areas.

The high-level bilateral meeting comes as Islamabad has intensified its efforts to bring an end to the US-Israel war on Iran.

In this regard, Pakistan hosted key regional ministers — from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt — and relayed messages between Washington and Tehran.

After the quadrilateral meeting in Islamabad, the FO said Dar and Yi would meet in Beijing to review bilateral ties and discuss regional and mutual issues.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and China, following the meeting between the two foreign ministers, called for an immediate start to dialogue, while emphasising that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded.

“Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable options to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to the peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks,” they said.

Urging security of non-military targets, the two neighbouring nations called on parties to the Middle East conflict “to immediately stop attacks on civilians and non-military targets”, and fully adhere to international humanitarian law.

They also urged for an end to attacks on important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.

Terming the Strait of Hormuz an important global shipping route for goods and energy, China and Pakistan called for protecting the security of ships and crew members stranded in the waterway, and to “allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships”.

They also stressed the need to restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.

Further, the two nations called for efforts to “practice true multilateralism” to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations.

They urged the Iran war parties to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and “realising lasting peace”.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing administration officials.

On Sunday, DPM Dar said a quadrilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt had called for an immediate and permanent end to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

In a televised address after the meeting in Islamabad, he said Pakistan had hosted the talks to discuss a range of issues, including efforts to ease rising regional tensions caused by the Iran war.