Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left on Thursday for a brief visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. During the visit, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with the crown prince to discuss matters of mutual interest and strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. The visit will focus on Pakistan&rsquo;s positive and active role in international diplomacy, and the country will continue to play a constructive role in this regard, the statement read.

PM Shehbaz meets Crown Prince of Saudia (APP)

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif departed for Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss regional tensions, security, and matters of mutual interest between the two countries.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif embarks on brief Saudi Arabia visit 

ISLAMABAD: Iran&#39;s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, said that Iran is not in a position to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is set to start on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.&nbsp; The situation has become uncertain after the US and Israel launched strikes on the country.&nbsp; The crisis intensified after the killing of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and other countries hosting US military bases.&nbsp; Earlier on Wednesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said US President Donald Trump had told him Iran is &quot;welcome to compete&quot; at this summer&#39;s finals.&nbsp; In an interview with the IRIB Sports Network, Donyamali said that the current circumstances make participation impossible. &quot;Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.&rdquo; Donyamali added that ongoing conflicts have heavily affected the country. &ldquo;Over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation.&rdquo;

Football

Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali says the country cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the ongoing war following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iranian minister says country will not play in FIFA World Cup

ISLAMABAD: The United States Trade Representative has launched a Section 301 investigation into India and other countries regarding structural excess capacity in manufacturing, evaluating whether these practices unfairly impact US commerce, according to a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on Wednesday. &ldquo;Today, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the initiation of investigations regarding the acts, policies, and practices of various economies under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors,&rdquo; the statement said. It added that the &ldquo;investigations will determine whether those acts, policies, and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce.&rdquo; According to the statement, India and other US trading partners are subject to these investigations. &ldquo;The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us. Today&rsquo;s investigations underscore President Trump&rsquo;s commitment to reshore critical supply chains and create good-paying jobs for American workers across our manufacturing sectors,&rdquo; said Ambassador Greer. Structural excess capacity and production&nbsp;The statement quoted the ambassador as stating, &ldquo;The Trump Administration&rsquo;s reindustrialization efforts continue to face significant challenges due to foreign economies&rsquo; structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. Across numerous sectors, many US trading partners are producing more goods than they can consume domestically.&rdquo; &ldquo;This overproduction displaces existing US domestic production or prevents investment and expansion in US manufacturing production that otherwise would have been brought online. In many sectors, the United States has lost substantial domestic production capacity or has fallen worryingly behind foreign competitors.&rdquo; Section 301&nbsp;Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act), is designed to address unfair foreign practices affecting US commerce, the statement said. An investigation under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act examines whether the acts, policies, or practices of a foreign country are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce, it added.

Americas

Asia

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says, ‘The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us.’

US launches investigation into India, other countries' trade practices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will observe this year&rsquo;s national day on March 23 with simplicity at all its diplomatic missions abroad, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. In a message shared on social media platform X, Dar wrote that, &quot;This year&rsquo;s 23rd March National Day will be observed with simplicity at all Pakistan&rsquo;s Missions abroad, limited to the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony. &quot;I<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">n the light of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s announced austerity measures, and as a mark of solidarity with the countries and peoples of the Middle East and the wider region affected by the ongoing conflict and the tragic loss of innocent lives, National Day receptions will not be held this year. &quot;Pakistan hopes that dialogue and diplomacy will prevail, and that peace, stability and prosperity will soon return to the entire region and beyond,&quot; the foreign minister said.

Pakistan National Day Parade (Radio Pakistan) 

Politics

In a message shared on X, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that in light of the prime minister’s announced austerity measures, and as a mark of solidarity with the countries and peoples of the Middle East and the wider region affected by the ongoing conflict and the tragic loss of innocent lives, Pakistan Day receptions at its diplomatic missions abroad will not be held this year.

Pakistan diplomatic missions to observe national day with simplicity: Dar

WASHINGTON: Here are the latest economic events in the US-Israel war on Iran on Wednesday: Container ship hit near UAE&nbsp;The UK maritime agency said Thursday that a projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates. &quot;The container ship was struck by (an) unknown projectile causing a small fire onboard,&quot; the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement, adding the ship&#39;s crew had been reported as safe. Oil prices surge&nbsp;Oil prices surged, with Brent crude breaking back above $100 a barrel. Brent jumped more than nine percent to as high as $101.59 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was also up more nine percent to hit $95.97. Bahrain says fuel tanks attacked Bahrain said its fuel tanks were targeted in an Iranian attack.&quot;The blatant Iranian aggression targets fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq Governorate,&quot; the country&#39;s Ministry of Interior said on X. Drones target Saudi oil field&nbsp;Saudi Arabia&#39;s defense ministry said on X that it had intercepted two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field in the southeast of the country. It said it had intercepted seven drones heading to the oil field on Wednesday. US to release 172M barrels under IEA oil pact&nbsp;The US Department of Energy said it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic petroleum reserve as part of an agreement among International Energy Agency&#39;s members to ease market turbulence. The IEA&#39;s 32 members earlier agreed to unlock 400 million barrels, its largest ever joint release. The US release will begin next week and be completed in approximately 120 days, the DoE said. Iranian hacking group targets US medical firm&nbsp;The Iran-linked hacking group Handala claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on US medical technology giant Stryker, saying it had extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for the US war on Iran. War to &#39;destroy&#39; world economy&nbsp;Iran said it was ready for a long war of attrition that would &quot;destroy&quot; the world economy. The US and Israel &quot;must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy,&quot; Ali Fadavi, adviser to the Revolutionary Guards&#39; commander-in-chief, told state television. The country&#39;s Tasnim news agency also published a list of potential targets for Iran, including the offices of tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia in Gulf countries and Israel. G7 rejects lifting Russian sanctions&nbsp;The Group of Seven nations rejected easing punitive measures against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine as the Middle East war wreaks havoc on global oil markets, France&#39;s President Emmanuel Macron said. &quot;This situation in no way justifies lifting the sanctions that exist against Russia,&quot; he said after a video call with other G7 leaders to discuss the war&#39;s economic fallout. Ships hit&nbsp;Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard said it had struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Express Rome and the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree because they had entered the Strait of Hormuz &quot;after ignoring the warnings&quot;. Iraqi officials later said they had rescued 20 crew of an oil tanker that came under an unspecified attack in the country&#39;s territorial waters. Drones hit Oman port&nbsp;Drones struck fuel tanks at Oman&#39;s Salalah port on Wednesday, state media reported. Citi, Deloitte, PwC clear offices in Gulf&nbsp;Several major international businesses closed or evacuated offices in Gulf countries after Iran threatened US- and Israel-linked economic targets and centers in the Middle East. US finance group Citi and British consultancy Deloitte evacuated offices in Dubai&#39;s financial center, while PwC, another British consultancy, closed offices in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait. Fuel queues&nbsp;Tanker drivers in Pakistan said they were facing long waits at depots due to a shortage of fuel, as the government played down fears of another rise in prices over the war. ECB inflation vow&nbsp;European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said that &quot;everything necessary&quot; would be done to &quot;keep inflation under control.&quot; Hormuz confusion&nbsp;The US energy secretary said in a video on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz -- but the post was deleted within minutes. The White House subsequently stated that the US Navy had not escorted any tankers through the strategic Gulf passage. Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said no US Navy vessel has &quot;dared&quot; to approach the strait.

Middle East

UK maritime agency said Thursday that a projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates; Oil prices surged, with Brent crude breaking back above $100 a barrel.

US-Israel war on Iran: Global economic fallout

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&#39;s Finance and Planning Minister, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, announced on Wednesday that the government has requested a temporary waiver from the United States to enable Bangladesh to purchase fuel oil from Russia. The request comes in response to escalating conflicts in the Gulf region that are threatening global energy supplies. He sought the waiver during a courtesy meeting with the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent T. Christensen, at the Planning Commission in Dhaka. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said that the United States had recently granted India a one-month temporary waiver to import Russian fuel oil.&nbsp; Similar support from the US would greatly benefit Bangladesh&rsquo;s economy, he said, adding that the ambassador would convey the matter to Washington. The US imposes sanctions on countries buying Russian oil, citing the protection of its national interests. According to the minister, the meeting primarily focused on volatility in the international energy market, particularly oil and gas supply disruptions stemming from the escalating conflict in the Gulf region.&nbsp; The 33-km-wide Strait of Hormuz has reportedly seen vessel movement nearly halted after joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and subsequent retaliatory measures by Tehran over the past 11 days. Bangladesh, a net energy-importing country, is heavily dependent on the strait for its fuel supply. In recent years, the country has imported around six million tons of fuel oil annually, much of which passes through the strategic route. A significant portion of Bangladesh&rsquo;s imported liquefied natural gas from Qatar and Oman also transits through the Strait of Hormuz, making the country particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the waterway. During the meeting, both sides also discussed ways to increase investment, trade, and economic cooperation between Dhaka and Washington. Issues related to strengthening the capacity of various government institutions were also raised.

Amir Khasru Mahmud- Minister of Finance of Bangladesh

Bangladesh

The request comes as the escalating conflict in the Gulf region threatens global energy supplies and the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

Bangladesh seeks temporary US waiver to buy Russian oil

ISLAMABAD: Eight Islamic countries including Pakistan have condemned Israel&#39;s continued closure of gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. In a statement, the foreign ministers of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-israeli-actions-demands-protection-of-palestinian-holy-sites" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan</a>, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar affirmed their absolute rejection of this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/alaqsa-imam-says-israel-barring-him-from-entering-mosque-ahead-of-ramadan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">illegal and unjustified</a> measure, as well as Israel&rsquo;s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031801705411793132&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b7768a4fee5bf295095643c1b6023f3d677fea85&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 850px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2031801705411793132"></iframe></div></div>The statement said that security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship constitute a flagrant violation to international law. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The ministers reiterated that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which amounts to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and regulate entry to it.

Foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar affirmed their absolute rejection of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Eight Muslim states including Pakistan condemn Israel’s continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a tweet late Wednesday, outlined terms to end the war in the Middle East, reaffirming his country&#39;s commitment to regional peace. &quot;The only way to end this war [...] is recognizing Iran&rsquo;s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,&quot; he said in a post on X. He said he had earlier spoken with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan, reaffirming Iran&#39;s commitment to peace in the region.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031794088526168170&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=851b3232460997a6b3b6c2bab056b2fd29af7ac1&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> Meanwhile, Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards warned that they would strike &quot;economic centers and banks&quot; linked to US and Israeli interests.&nbsp; The defiance from Tehran came as fighting around the strategic Strait of Hormuz &mdash; the waterway carrying a fifth of the world&#39;s oil &mdash; sent shock waves through energy markets, prompting emergency releases from global reserves and a limited draw on US stockpiles. Oil prices have surged since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict. Retaliatory Iranian missile strikes and drone attacks have brought shipping through the strait almost to a halt, forcing governments to scramble to contain the fallout, while US President Donald Trump said Iran was &quot;pretty much at the end of the line.&quot; &quot;Doesn&#39;t mean we&#39;re going to end it immediately, but they are,&quot; Trump told reporters. He said Iran&#39;s navy and air force had been destroyed, that it was close to running out of missiles and that US forces could knock out the electricity supply &quot;within one hour&quot; &mdash; leaving the country with a reconstruction that could take a generation. But the US leader indicated that he would rather show restraint than take actions that would make it &quot;almost impossible for them to rebuild their country.&quot; The president had earlier said the United States must &quot;finish the job&quot; in Iran, adding that US forces had struck 28 Iranian mine-laying vessels. He said Washington would tap US strategic reserves &quot;a little&quot; to help stabilize markets roiled by the war, and his administration later announced that he had authorized the release of 172 million barrels, beginning next week. The International Energy Agency agreed to release a record 400 million barrels. Israel&#39;s military, however, signaled the campaign was far from finished, and that it still had &quot;a broad bank of targets.&quot; Economic shockWith the conflict in its 12th day, Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards warned Wednesday they would strike &quot;economic centers and banks&quot; linked to US and Israeli interests, prompting more international firms to evacuate staff from Dubai. The United States and Israel &quot;must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy,&quot; Ali Fadavi, an adviser to the Guards&#39; commander-in-chief, told state television. Iran said it targeted two commercial vessels in the Gulf after they entered the Strait of Hormuz, &quot;after ignoring the warnings&quot; of its navy. Analysts warn that a prolonged disruption to shipping through the strait &mdash; which also carries roughly a third of the fertilizer used in global food production &mdash; would deliver a severe economic shock, particularly in Asia and Europe. The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding Iran halt attacks on Gulf states, prompting the Islamic republic&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations to accuse it of a &quot;blatant misuse&quot; of its mandate. The conflict has already disrupted two pillars of the Gulf economy &mdash; energy production and commercial aviation. On Wednesday, drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, authorities said. Others struck fuel tanks at Oman&#39;s Salalah port, according to the Oman News Agency. &#39;Wave of strikes&#39;&nbsp;In an apparent first since the war began, Israeli drones also struck targets in Tehran on Wednesday evening, killing members of the security forces, Iran&#39;s Fars news agency reported. The Israeli military later said it was carrying out a &quot;wide-scale wave of strikes&quot; after the IRGC announced just after midnight on Thursday that it had carried out a joint missile operation with Hezbollah against targets in Israel. Pentagon officials have meanwhile briefed US lawmakers that the cost of the war exceeded $11.3 billion in its first six days, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the classified briefing. The conflict has continued to spill across the region.

Iran Guards warn they will strike 'economic centers and banks' linked to US and Israeli interests; Iran’s president says only way to end war is recognizing Iran’s 'legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression.'

Iran outlines terms to end war, reaffirms regional peace in talks with Pakistan

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Wednesday called for Iran to halt its attacks on Gulf states, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran&#39;s ambassador to decry a &quot;blatant misuse&quot; of the international body. The resolution, passed by 13 votes with two abstentions, &quot;demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.&quot; It also &quot;condemns any actions or threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.&quot; Iran has repeatedly struck Gulf states in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks that killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and continue to pummel Iranian sites. The Islamic Republic has also fired on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial sea passage for the global fuel trade, in a bid to inflict pain on the global economy. Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, the UN ambassador of Bahrain, which introduced the resolution sponsored by 135 countries, said its passing reflected the Gulf&#39;s key role in the global economy. &quot;This is why ensuring the security of this region is not merely a regional matter; it is a common international responsibility that is closely linked to the stability of the global economy and energy security,&quot; Alrowaiei told the Security Council. Veto-holders China and Russia both abstained from the Security Council vote, angered that the resolution did not acknowledge US-Israeli hostility towards Iran. Iranian ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said adoption of the text represented a &quot;blatant misuse of the Security Council mandate in pursuit of the political agendas&quot; of the United States and Israel. &quot;Let me make it clear, this resolution is a manifest injustice against my country, the main victim of a clear act of aggression,&quot; he said. The United States, which backed the text, said its adoption reflected a broad condemnation of Iranian strikes. &quot;Iran&#39;s strategy of sowing chaos, of trying to hold their neighbors hostage, trying to shake the resolve of the region, has clearly backfired, as shown by this vote today,&quot; said US ambassador Mike Waltz.

Iranian ambassador says adoption of the text represented a "blatant misuse" of UNSC; resolution is a manifest injustice against Iran who was the "victim of a clear act of aggression."

UN Security Council demands Iran halt attacks on Gulf states

Speaker of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qhalibaf in a post on X on Thursday stated: ‘Homeland or Death! Any aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint.’

Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif embarks on brief Saudi Arabia visit

Related Articles

Pakistani envoy visits injured nationals in UAE amid Iran war fallout

Pakistan diplomatic missions to observe national day with simplicity: Dar

Latest News

Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif embarks on brief Saudi Arabia visit

Iranian minister says country will not play in FIFA World Cup

US launches investigation into India, other countries' trade practices

Pakistan diplomatic missions to observe national day with simplicity: Dar

US-Israel war on Iran: Global economic fallout