Pakistani Foreign Minister Meets US Secretary in Washington

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday for high-level talks focused on bilateral relations and ongoing efforts to secure a peace deal between the United States and Iran. The meeting, which diplomatic sources described as arranged on short notice, comes amid renewed military clashes and fragile negotiations aimed at ending a conflict that has lasted for months.

The discussions between Dar and Rubio were expected to cover a range of regional issues, including the U.S.-Iran peace process and the Abraham Accords, a framework normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Pakistan has previously resisted joining those accords. Officials indicated the talks would also review broader bilateral cooperation and Pakistan's role in promoting regional stability.

This diplomatic engagement follows a series of limited military exchanges between U.S. and Iranian forces. Iranian state media reported it targeted a U.S. air base in Kuwait after U.S. forces struck what they described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. official characterized the American actions as measured and defensive,...