By The South Asia Times

NEW YORK -  Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in New York on Thursday as Islamabad stepped up diplomatic efforts to contain the widening Middle East conflict and promote dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments.

Dar emphasized the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and sustained engagement for promoting regional peace and stability. The two sides agreed to remain in close contact.

The meeting comes as Pakistan seeks to balance its longstanding ties with Iran with its strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia and its stated efforts to facilitate an end to the US-Iran conflict.

Islamabad has in recent months presented itself as a diplomatic bridge between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that it remained engaged alongside other countries in efforts to resolve the US-Iran standoff.

Pakistan’s military leadership has also been involved. Foreign Ministry officials said Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s August visit to Tehran was part of Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate an end to the conflict, reduce military escalation and explore a negotiated settlement.

Dar and Araghchi also spoke by telephone on Sept. 19, when the Pakistani foreign minister stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe passage of commercial shipping, citing the impact of the conflict on developing countries and global supply chains.

Diplomatic efforts have continued at the UN, where several countries are seeking to create an opening for renewed US-Iran negotiations.

- Houthi terrorist attacks complicate Pakistan's diplomacy

Pakistan's diplomacy has become more complicated as attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group have increasingly affected Saudi Arabia and regional security.

Islamabad has publicly condemned Houthi terrorist attacks against Saudi territory and civilian and economic infrastructure. On Sept. 12, Pakistan condemned drone attacks targeting the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, saying the strikes damaged the pipeline and injured civilians. Pakistan reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.

Pakistan also condemned an attempted Houthi terrorist group drone attack targeting Makkah Al-Mukarramah on Sept. 16. Dar described the incident as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to regional peace and security, while reaffirming Pakistan's support for Saudi Arabia in protecting the two holy mosques and the safety of pilgrims, residents and citizens.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has also said Islamabad remains concerned about the continuing escalation and its implications for regional security, maritime navigation and global energy supplies.

- Balancing Iran and Saudi Arabia

The diplomatic challenge for Islamabad is heightened by its close security relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye recently strengthened their defence cooperation through the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which Islamabad says is defensive in nature and aimed at collective deterrence rather than creating a new bloc against another country.

At the same time, Pakistan maintains diplomatic and economic ties with neighbouring Iran and has repeatedly called for dialogue rather than military escalation.

Islamabad has not publicly attributed the Houthi terrorist group attacks directly to the Iranian government in the statements cited above. Rather, Pakistani officials have condemned the Houthi attacks while separately engaging Iranian officials and urging diplomacy.

Against this backdrop, Dar's meeting with Araghchi in New York provides another channel for Islamabad to communicate its concerns while keeping diplomatic engagement with Tehran open.

The Pakistani foreign minister's latest message to his Iranian counterpart, according to the official statement, focused on dialogue, diplomacy and sustained engagement rather than public confrontation.

For Islamabad, the immediate objective remains to prevent further regional escalation while keeping open diplomatic channels with both Iran and its Gulf partners and supporting efforts toward a negotiated end to the US-Iran conflict.