South Korea and Iran held their first director-general level policy consultations in Tehran on Sunday since the conclusion of the 12-day war in June, signaling Seoul’s intent to maintain diplomatic channels with Tehran despite the U.S.-led “Maximum Pressure 2.0” campaign. The foreign ministry confirmed that Chung Kwang-yong, Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs, met with his Iranian counterpart Ali Asghar Mohammadi to discuss “practical cooperation” and regional stability. This marks the first such meeting between the two nations since the escalation of hostilities involving the U.S. and Israel earlier this year.

The dialogue officially covered bilateral exchanges in