Authorities concerned have clarified that remarks attributed to Pakistan about US sanctions on Iran carried by sections of Iranian media are “misconstrued”.
“Pakistan, in principle, doesn’t comment on the US regime of sanctions on Iran and refrains from their interpretation,” they added.
The clarification came after several Iranian media outlets quoted Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi as saying that Pakistan will continue bilateral trade with Iran in accordance with international law and is not bound by unilateral sanctions imposed on Tehran.
Pakistan has consistently rejected unilateral measures and does not accept unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States, the Iranian media outlets reported, citing FO Spokesperson Andrabi.
The authorities added that Islamabad, being the lead mediator, is focused on an amicable, consensual and practical settlement of the conflict for larger stability and prosperity in the region.
Pakistan remains, they added, committed to its sincere and constructive role in bridging differences between Washington and Tehran and looks forward to a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and de-escalation.
Washington’s latest measures, announced on Monday, mark a new phase in the war that began on February 28, shifting the battlefield from missiles and airstrikes to Iran’s oil revenues, banks and trading partners.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the United States will cut off the financial lifelines sustaining Iran’s economy, while a US-led naval blockade restricts Tehran’s oil exports and access to hard currency.
While he said countries that continued trading with Iran risked being forced out of the dollar-based financial system, he declined to give a timeline or identify which may be targeted, saying he would give them time to comply with the new directive.
Iran denounced expanded US sanctions aimed at isolating its economy as an act of “gross lawlessness”, expressing confidence that many countries would not join the pressure campaign.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the latest US sanctions as a threat to international law and the UN charter, saying in a statement that “the issue is no longer limited to Iran”.
“No honourable state that values its sovereignty and national interests will accept the normalisation of such gross lawlessness and systematic bullying,” it said.
There have been signals of a potential return to mediation to end the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran and has shut down most shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, previously a conduit for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
