ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving disputes and ensuring lasting peace during a telephone conversation on Sunday.

The two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. Dar urged all parties to pursue de-escalation and exercise restraint in line with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding agreed in June.

US and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone strikes, with Tehran targeting US facilities in states across the Gulf on Sunday after saying it had again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.