Iran's foreign minister visits Islamabad amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir attack

Pakistan warns that it will resolutely respond to any attacks or violation of its sovereign or territorial integrities as a senior minister warns an Indian attack may be imminent.

Iran's foreign minister engaged in discussions with senior Pakistani officials on Monday in an effort to mediate the growing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, following last month's tragic attack on tourists in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir.Abbas Araghchi's trip to Islamabad marks the first visit by a foreign official since the escalation of tensions after the 22 April massacre that claimed the lives of 26 individuals, predominantly Indian Hindu tourists, in Pahalgam.Tehran has offered to help ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Araghchi held separate meetings with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who thanked him for his peace efforts. Araghchi is also set to visit India this week, according to Pakistani state-run media.Guterres urges maximum restraintAntonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, also urged both sides on Monday to exercise restraint and make decisions which prioritise peace and human life. “Make no mistake: A military solution is no solution,” he told reporters."Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” Guterres said. “The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace.”Islamabad has offered to cooperate with an international investigation. India hasn’t accepted the offer so far, and several world leaders have urged both sides to show restraint and avoid further escalation.Trading blamePakistan's military has been on high alert after Cabinet Minister Attaullah Tarar cited intelligence indicating that an Indian attack could be imminent.Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in televised remarks Monday that Pakistan “will exercise full restraint, but if India takes any adventurous step, then we will give a befitting response.”According to a ministry statement, Dar, in talks with Araghchi, rejected what he described as India’s attempts to implicate Pakistan in the Kashmir attack.“We will not be the first to take any escalatory step,” Dar said, adding that he had warned the international community should there be “any act of aggression by India, Pakistan will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”He also accused the Indian air force of attempting to breach Pakistani airspace on April 29. Pakistan scrambled aircraft and forced Indian jets to turn back, he said. There was no immediate comment from India on those claims.Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and “strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam."Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and is claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly over Kashmir.Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.