Pakistan says not bound by unilateral US sanctions on Iran

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said on Thursday it was not “obliged to” comply with unilateral US sanctions on Iran unless they were imposed by the United Nations, signaling a willingness to continue trade with the country even after US President Donald Trump threatened to punish countries doing business with Tehran.Islamabad is following bilateral agreements with Iran, and while trade between the two neighbors remains robust, “there is a desire to expand,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.Addressing reporters in Islamabad at his weekly briefing, Andrabi said Pakistan does not believe Washington’s unilateral sanctions on Tehran adhere to international law and that issues should be resolved through dialogue.On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a series of new sanctions on Iran, as the Trump administration seeks to increase economic pressure to force concessions.The value of the Iranian rial has fallen to a new all-time low against the US dollar, surpassing two million rials to one dollar on the free market after Washington launched what it called the toughest sanctions yet in efforts to strangle Tehran’s economy.Andrabi rejected reports that Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, traveled to Iran as Trump’s envoy, calling the claims “misleading and factually incorrect”.Andrabi said Munir’s visit to Tehran on August 24 was undertaken “purely in the context and backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing role as mediator”.“The visit underscored Islamabad’s sincere and constructive role in bridging differences between Washington and Tehran,” Andrabi said, adding that the Iranian leadership had appreciated Pakistan’s efforts.During the visit, Munir met Iran’s president, Supreme National Security Council representative, parliament speaker, foreign minister and interior minister.