BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif wrote on X following a phone conversation with President Pezeshkian, Trend reports.
According to him, violations of the ceasefire have been reported at a few places across the conflict zone, which undermine the spirit of the peace process.
"I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict," the publication reads.
On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran. Strikes were carried out against the country’s largest cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats emanating from the Islamic Republic. As a result of the strikes on Iran, the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other key figures in the leadership were killed. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel. Iran also targeted U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
The conflict has placed the region’s energy infrastructure and maritime shipping under serious threat. Due to security tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have surged.
On April 7, the U.S. and Iran reached an agreement on a temporary ceasefire lasting approximately two weeks, aimed at preventing further escalation of hostilities and creating opportunities for negotiations. According to reports, the agreement was reached with Pakistan acting as a mediator. One of the key points is Iran’s commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, and the parties also agreed to cease attacks and prepare for negotiations.