Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday urged the US and Iran to exercise restraint and honor their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a framework agreement reached in June to resolve the Middle East conflict.

Zardari called for differences to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, emphasizing the importance of safe maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

His remarks came during a meeting with Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Islamabad, according to a statement from the president's office.

Zardari expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the Gulf, particularly attacks on maritime traffic, energy installations and critical infrastructure.

He warned that the conflict posed serious challenges to regional stability, global energy security, trade and supply chains, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Kolokoltsev is on a four-day official visit to Pakistan, the first by a Russian interior minister to the South Asian country.

He said bilateral trade, which stood at $243.4 million in the 2025 financial year, remained below its potential and urged both countries to translate their leaders' goodwill into tangible results.

Kolokoltsev agreed that trade volumes did not reflect the strength of bilateral relations, saying there was considerable room for expansion. He also invited Zardari to visit Russia.

Separately, Kolokoltsev held talks with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on combating organized crime, terrorism, extremism, illicit arms and drug trafficking, and cybercrime, including telephone scams, phishing and cryptocurrency pyramid schemes.

The Russian minister said law enforcement cooperation was rooted in friendly and mutually beneficial bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Russian Embassy in Islamabad.