Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of “uninterrupted energy supplies” and the “safe and expeditious passage of ships” during a conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

In a post on X, FO said the deputy premier and the top Iranian diplomat discussed the latest regional developments.

Dar “stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and expeditious passage of ships, particularly given their implications for developing countries and global supply chains”.

He underscored that “dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable means to ensure peace and stability in the region”, the statement added.

The two agreed to maintain close cooperation and meet in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly next week, according to FO.

The phone call came amid concerns over disruptions to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, two key maritime routes for global trade and energy supplies.

Iran’s stranglehold on the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the US launched its war on February 28 has already impacted oil exports from the Middle East.

Fears of worsening disruption have intensified after the Houthis seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab strait a week ago, declaring a maritime blockade on Riyadh. While the current blockade is limited to Saudi ships, fears of a wider closure persist.

On Friday, Pakistan condemned Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in Bab al-Mandab and called for their immediate cessation.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that disruptions and attacks on merchant vessels could have implications far beyond the affected regions, including by affecting energy prices and global food security.

Ambassador Asim also linked Pakistan’s position on maritime security to its diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States.

“Guided by these foundational principles, Pakistan acted as a mediator between Iran and the United States, following the outbreak of hostilities between the two countries,” he said.

Last week, FO described the situation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait as “exceptionally serious” and said Islamabad was concerned about the widening conflict and its implications for regional stability and maritime security.

It called for the Houthi conflict to be addressed through “dialogue and diplomacy, and not through coercive measures”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s interior ministry said on Saturday that efforts were under way to resolve outstanding issues and return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed between Tehran and Washington in June.

Ministry spokesperson Ali Zeynivand said Iran demands that “the other party adhere to its commitments in this agreement”, according to Al Jazeera, which cited the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The fragile ceasefire had collapsed in July after attacks on commercial ships in the Hormuz strait, with the US and Iran trading strikes for 13 consecutive days.