ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan fully supports Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

“Pakistan stands by Iran for the acquisition of peaceful nuclear power,” Sharif said during a joint press conference with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, who is on his first official two-day visit to Pakistan.

PM Sharif’s comments come as Iran faces renewed scrutiny from Western nations over its atomic activities, which have become a flashpoint in its tensions with Israel. The United States has recently conducted strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities, further straining relations. Talks between Tehran and European powers – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – have resumed in recent weeks, with the parties aiming to reach a nuclear accord by the end of August.

The discussions have been described as “frank,” and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed hope that they could pave the way for renewed inspections of Iranian nuclear sites. The talks are part of broader efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by the United States in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump.

That accord had offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activity. China and Russia remain signatories to the original agreement. A looming October 18 deadline could mark a turning point. Unless the “snapback” mechanism is invoked by mid-September, all remaining UN sanctions on Iran will expire — potentially unfreezing its banking, defence and hydrocarbons sectors. —FAZAL SHER