Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan – which has been acting as a mediator between the US and Iran – says his country “strongly condemns the missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates last night”.
As we’ve been reporting, the UAE said it engaged multiple Iranian missiles and drones on Monday, and an oil port was hit.
Sharif says on social media: “It is absolutely essential that the ceasefire be upheld and respected, to allow necessary diplomatic space for dialogue leading to enduring peace and stability in the region.”
Separately, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, part of the country’s ruling coalition government, tells the BBC World Service Newsday programme that both sides should “avoid an escalation” and “continue their commitment to diplomacy”.
Pakistan is “currently still exchanging messages and trying to create confidence-building opportunities”, he says, but incidents like the “attacks yesterday” do “complicate the process”.