ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said that any instability involving Iran could undermine global peace and harm the global economy, adding that the stakes were “far too high for confrontation.”
US President Donald Trump has hinted at US military action against Iran following Tehran's crackdown on protesters, but at the same time, Washington and Tehran restarted talks last week with a meeting in Oman. Talks had been suspended after the US struck Iran's atomic sites during Israel's 12-day war with Iran last July. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Tehran would "not yield to excessive demands" on its nuclear program.
While speaking at a reception hosted by the Iranian embassy to celebrate the 47th anniversary of Iran’s National Day, President Zardari said Pakistan opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive measures, including those against Iran, and believed that peaceful engagement best served regional and global security.
“Any instability involving Iran, or any attempt to resolve issues through military means, carries grave risks,” the president said.
“Such actions could … undermine global peace, and cause serious harm to the global economy. The stakes are far too high for confrontation,” he added.
The president welcomed efforts aimed at “easing tensions and encouraging continued dialogue among relevant parties in a constructive spirit, with the objective of promoting peace and stability in the region.”
While observing a one-minute silence for the recent blast in Islamabad, President Zardari said that the country believed the ongoing conflicts, terrorism, external interference, and unresolved regional flashpoints could not be addressed through force or unilateral actions.
He said that Pakistan and Iran shared responsibilities as neighboring countries and remained committed to cooperation on border management, counter-terrorism, and turning the shared frontier into a zone of cooperation, lawful trade, and development.
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