Iran urges India, Pakistan to 'exercise restraint' amid soaring tensions

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday asked India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" and prevent an escalation, ahead of his talks with the Pakistani leadership as tensions soared between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack.

At the talks, Tehran and Islamabad agreed that complex regional issues could be addressed through talks, a Pakistani Foreign Office statement said.

"The situation in the region is very important for Iran, and we emphasise (on the importance of) easing tensions while calling on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent the escalation of the situation," Araghchi said upon his arrival here, Iranian state-run PressTV reported.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

We will try to de-escalate tensions in the region, said Araghchi, who paid a day-long visit to Pakistan.

He will travel to India on Thursday.

"Both India and Pakistan are friendly countries to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, Pakistan is our neighbouring and brotherly country, and we were interested in being informed of the positions of our friends in Pakistan before travelling to India," Araghchi told Iranian journalists accompanying his delegation, Iran's semi-autonomous Mehr News reported.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that Araghchi and Dar reaffirmed their commitment to strong Pakistan-Iran ties and agreed to boost cooperation in trade, energy and connectivity.

They also exchanged views on the evolving situation in South Asia and US-Iran talks while agreeing that complex issues could be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations, the Foreign Office said.

Dar told media after the talks that Pakistan stood by its offer to support an independent probe into the Pahalgam attack, adding that Pakistan would not be the first to launch any attack against India.

But we will respond resolutely and with full force to any act to any misadventure by India, he said.

Radio Pakistan reported that during the meeting, Dar shared Pakistan's "serious concerns" over the prevailing tensions in South Asia, blaming India's "provocative behaviour" for it.

He rejected "unsubstantiated attempts" to implicate Pakistan in the incident, reiterating Islamabad's call for an "international, transparent, and impartial" investigation.

Separately, the Iranian Foreign Minister called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the regional situation as well as matters of bilateral interest.

Pakistan and Iran enjoy close bilateral relations rooted in shared history, culture, and religion.

The visit of Foreign Minister Araghchi is expected to further strengthen the existing ties and enhance cooperation between the two countries.