A MEETING of the United Nations security council was set to take place today over the growing tensions between India and Pakistan.

The meeting comes as both Iran and Russia have sought to mediate between the two nuclear armed sides.

“Pakistan has officially requested emergency closed consultations in the UN security council. Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad will make a statement to reporters after the meeting,” Pakistan’s UN mission said.

Iran’s foreign minister held talks with top Pakistani officials on Monday to try and mediate between Islamabad and New Delhi after last month’s deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad was the first by a foreign dignitary since tensions flared in the wake of the April 22 massacre of 26 people in the town of Pahalgam, which India blames on Pakistan. 

Pakistan’s military has been on high alert after Cabinet Minister Attaullah Tarar cited intelligence indicating that India could attack. 

Pakistan has denied any role in the massacre of mostly Indian tourists, and offered to co-operate with an international investigation. India has so far not accepted the offer.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country “will exercise full restraint, but if India takes any adventurous step, then we will give a befitting response.”

Mr Dar said he has spoken to over a dozen foreign dignitaries, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“We will not be the first to take any escalatory step,” Mr Dar said, saying that he had warned the international community that, should there be “any act of aggression by India, Pakistan will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He accused the Indian air force of attempting to breach Pakistani airspace on April 28. Pakistan scrambled aircraft and forced Indian jets to turn back, he said. There was no immediate comment from India on those claims.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and "strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Mr Dar of Moscow's readiness to help resolve the standoff, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram following a telephone conversation between the two officials.

"Special attention was paid to the significant increase in the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. The Russian side stressed its readiness to contribute towards achieving a political settlement to the crisis," the ministry said.