Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed serious concern over the recent attacks on Azerbaijan and Turkiye, calling for restraint and urging all parties to pursue dialogue to de-escalate tensions.

In a statement on X, the PM reiterated Pakistan’s support for Azerbaijan and Turkiye, stating that Islamabad stands firmly with the leadership and the people of the brotherly countries. He condemned the attacks as “deplorable actions” that risk further escalation and undermine peace and stability in the region.

The latest escalation began last week after the United States and Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on targets in Iran, triggering a sharp deterioration in regional tensions. The attacks followed the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Since then, the conflict has expanded across multiple fronts in the Gulf region, with Iran vowing retaliation and warning of wider consequences. The seven-day war has now seen Iran target Israel, the Gulf states, Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan, and spread to the Indian Ocean where a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian naval ship near Sri Lanka.