Pakistan and Bahrain on Thursday emphasized de-escalation in the Middle East amid the US-Iran war and conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, in Islamabad.

Dar said discussions with Al Zayani covered the evolving situation in the Gulf, adding that they "emphasized the importance of restraint, dialogue and de-escalation." “We discussed the need to ensure safety and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb given their importance for regional and global food and energy security,” said Dar.

He said Pakistan “remains committed to efforts for peace and stability in the region.”The Middle East has seen an escalation of conflicts since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, triggering retaliation by Tehran, which hit American military bases and assets across Gulf nations, including in Bahrain.

Amid the US-Iran war, conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis intensified in September when the Yemeni group seized strategic positions in the provinces of Al-Hudaydah and Taiz, including the port city of Mokha, before advancing to Mayyun Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Islamabad has played a mediating role between the US and Iran, securing a ceasefire and then hosting the highest-level talks between the warring parties in April earlier this year, and has called for an end to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Al Zayani said the meeting in Islamabad comes while “the crisis in our region remains unresolved and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is under daily threat.”Bahrain “strongly condemns” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's airports, saying that targeting airports and civilian infrastructure “is a criminal act, flagrant violation of international law,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s security “is an integral part of the security of Bahrain and of the GCC (Gulf Council Cooperation),” the Bahraini foreign minister said.

He said he discussed with Dar the situation around the two straits, "underscoring the importance of freedom and safety of navigation and respect for international law." Tehran has closed Hormuz since the US and Israel initiated the war while the Pentagon has imposed a military blockade of Iranian ports since April.

“We highly value Pakistan’s constructive role” of hosting Islamabad Talks between the US and Iran and "its continued efforts for dialogue and de-escalation,” said Al Zayani.

"We respect each other... we are consistent in our relationship... we feel safe in this relationship," said Al Zayani about Bahrain's ties with Pakistan, stressing: "we understand the constraints on each other."

Boosting ties After the two foreign ministers co-chaired the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission, Al Zayani said the ties between the two nations have “gained significant momentum.”Reaffirming “mutual resolve” to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas, the two nations next week will mark 55th years of diplomatic relations and have set target of $1 billion in trade transactions.

Bahrain is home to some 134,000 Pakistani citizens and the joint ministerial commission covered cooperation across more than 15 fields as the two sides stress on enhancing people-to-contacts.