ISLAMABAD: As efforts continue to prevent the conflict in the Gulf from widening, Iran on Friday called for expanding strategic cooperation with Pakistan, describing Islamabad’s diplomatic engagement as an important contribution to regional peace and stability.

“Pakistan has played a constructive diplomatic role in facilitating negotiations and advancing efforts towards regional peace and stability,” Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said while delivering the keynote address at a roundtable discussion, organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies.

“Strengthening our bilateral cooperation is essential for addressing contemporary security challenges in West Asia,” he said.

The discussion, titled Pakistan-Iran Relations and Strategic Stab­i­lity in West Asia, brought together diplomats, academics, defence analysts and researchers to examine the future trajectory of Pakistan-Iran relations against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile regional security environment.

Opening the discussion, CISS Exec­utive Director Amb Ali Sarwar Naqvi said the recent escalation had generated fresh uncertainties for regional peace, maritime security and global energy markets, making sustained dialogue and regional engagement more important than ever.

Former ambassador Masood Khan said Pakistan’s consistent advocacy of peaceful dispute resolution and its ability to maintain constructive relations with regional and international stakeholders had strengthened its credibility as a facilitator of dialogue, confidence-building measures and de-escalation.

Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, Amb Moinul Haque said the resilience and national unity displayed by the Iranian people during the recent conflict had played an important role in enabling the country to confront the challenges arising from the crisis.

Dr Nazish Mahmood of Quaid-i-Azam University said greater cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in border security, trade, energy and regional connectivity could contribute meaningfully to long-term regional stability.

Discussing the maritime dimension of the crisis, retired Rear Admiral Faisal Shah highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz as one of the world’s principal energy chokepoints and cautioned that prolonged instability there could carry far-reaching consequences for international trade, energy security and maritime stability.

Dr Bilal Zubair, director of research at CISS, said the recent conflict had brought Pakistan and Iran closer than ever before, with their shared border, economic interdependence and common concerns over regional instability reinforcing bilateral cooperation and reshaping the relationship across political, economic and strategic domains.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026