Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded US President Donald Trump's 'decisive leadership' in reaching a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shehbaz Sharif vowed to 'continue to play a constructive role for bringing peace to the Middle East,' during a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as stated in a release from the Pakistani premier's office. "The Prime Minister appreciated President Trump's bold and decisive leadership that led to the ceasefire between Iran and Israel," the statement said.

Sharif also expressed his gratitude to Rubio for the 'key role played by the US in the Pakistan-India ceasefire.' The statement further detailed that the Prime Minister and Secretary Rubio agreed to continue working closely to strengthen Pakistan-US relations, particularly through enhanced trade. Rubio acknowledged these efforts and conveyed that the US aims to work with Pakistan to promote peace and stability in the region.

This conversation marked the second call between Sharif and Rubio within the week, following a discussion on the then-ongoing Iran-Israel conflict last Friday, where Islamabad offered to engage in efforts to facilitate peace in the region.

The conflict saw Israel launch airstrikes on several sites across Iran on June 13, targeting military and nuclear facilities based on allegations that Tehran was nearing the production of a nuclear bomb, a claim Iran denied. The Israeli assault resulted in 606 fatalities and 5,332 injuries. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone strikes, causing 28 deaths and wounding 3,238 individuals. The US entered the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

After 12 days of intense aerial combat between the regional adversaries, a ceasefire was announced by Trump late Monday, which currently seems to be holding.