Iran remains ready to implement the Islamabad memorandum of understanding reached through Pakistan’s mediation efforts, provided the United States also honours and fulfils its own commitments under the agreement, President Masoud Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan on Monday. He expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s active, constructive role in the negotiations that produced the MoU, saying Tehran remains prepared to implement the understanding reached through the efforts of its “friendly and brotherly” Pakistani government, but stressed that implementation depends on Washington adhering to its own end of the agreement. He said Iran believes peace and security must prevail across the region, and that people should not be subjected to war and conflict regardless of religion, sect, or ethnicity.
Pezeshkian also welcomed the Makkah Agreement, saying Iran has long believed that a united, harmonious bloc of Muslim countries would deter Israel from attacking Islamic states so readily. He said Islamic countries possess sufficient capacity to resolve their internal disputes through dialogue and cooperation, without requiring foreign intervention, and welcomed the joint action taken by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye under the agreement as a step toward strengthening unity within the Muslim world. He expressed hope that other regional and Islamic countries would eventually join the process and expand cooperation beyond defence into political, economic, and cultural spheres.
Sharif, for his part, praised Pezeshkian’s sincerity and honesty, saying he had repeatedly noted these qualities during their exchanges and was pleased with the dialogue between the two leaders. He said increased diplomatic engagement and consultation between Pakistan and Iran in recent months had produced very good results.
Turning to recent regional tensions, Sharif said the ongoing turmoil and insecurity had created concern not just for regional nations but for millions of people worldwide, stressing the need for greater cooperation and coordination among regional countries to bring the situation to an end. He assured Pezeshkian that the Makkah Agreement is defensive in nature and not directed against any country, and that its purpose is to ensure regional peace and security while protecting the interests of regional states.
Sharif further noted what he described as strong global public support for Iran, saying most people around the world currently view Iran as being in the right, and expressed hope that peace and security in the region could ultimately be achieved through agreement and dialogue.
