LEADERS OF PAKISTAN, IRAN HOLD PHONE TALK AS TENSION RISE AMID US REGIONAL BUILD UP

NEW DELHI, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- The leaders of Pakistan and Iran on Thursday discussed rising regional tensions amid a United States (US) military build-up near Iran.

"We exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and agreed that sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement are vital for peace, security, and development in our region," Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X, after speaking to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable way forward.

The US military build-up off Iran, which includes naval and air assets such as the USS Abraham Lincoln nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has fuelled fears of a US-Iran war in the Middle East, even as efforts continue to be made by Iran's neighbours to defuse the situation.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D Black on Thursday joined the American armada in the region.

Araghchi will be in Turkiye on Friday for talks aimed at avoiding a confrontation with the US.

"Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of an all-out war in our region. None of them are European," the Iranian foreign minister said in a post on X on Thursday.

"Europe is instead busy fanning the flames. After pursuing 'snapback' at the behest of the US, it is now making another major strategic mistake by designating our National Military as a supposed 'terrorist organisation'," he said.

Araghchi warned that an all-out war in West Asia will have "knock-on effects", including high energy cost, for European countries.

-- BERNAMA