Islamabad (TDI): Foreign Ministers from 20 Arab and African Muslim countries issued a strong joint statement condemning Israel’s military strikes on Iran and calling for an immediate ceasefire and region-wide de-escalation.
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, shared the joint statement on his official account on social media app, X.
The 20 countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Joint Statement of Pakistan and other Islamic Countries to condemn Israel’s aggression against Islamic Republic of Iran! https://t.co/QGpiCWqnnN
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 17, 2025
The statement expressed serious concern over the current trading of missiles between Iran and Israel and the risk this poses towards a larger, regional confrontation. It rejected and condemned Israel’s recent strikes on Iran, which started on June 13, and called them as a violation of International law and United Nations Charter.
The statement emphasized on the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace in the region and thus called for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire. It also highlighted the importance of a Middle East free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction, and urged that all countries of region to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The paramount importance of refraining from targeting nuclear facilities that are under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, in accordance with relevant IAEA resolutions and United Nations Security Council resolutions, as such acts constitute a violation of international law and international humanitarian law including the 1949 Geneva Conventions”, the statement read.
The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, delivered Pakistan’s national statement at the extraordinary session of IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting which is considering Israel’s blatant attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities of Iran (1/3) pic.twitter.com/g7SxidTkmS
— Pakistan Embassy Austria (@PakinAustria) June 16, 2025
It further reflected on the importance of returning to diplomacy to resolve issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
The joint statement concluded by affirming that peace is hard to achieve through military means, and adherence to international law, dialogue, and diplomacy is the only way to stability.
In addition to this, Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Kamran Akhtar, delivered Pakistan’s stance during the latest session of IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting regarding Israel’s strikes on Iran.
He established that these attacks were a “grave violation of international law” and called for a ceasefire to de-escalate the situation in Middle East, while also stating, “impunity or tolerance for illegal use of force by Israel sets a dangerous precedent which will come to haunt entire international community.”
An IR student whose interest lies in diplomacy and current affairs and a part time debater
