Pakistan working to dissuade Iran from striking Saudi Arabia: Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is working to persuade Iran to stop its attacks on Saudi Arabia, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs RanaSanaullah said on Wednesday, as a war escalates in the Middle East following joint attacks by the United States and Israel across Iran.

Talking to a private media channel, he said that the military leadership, during today’s in-camera briefing, informed that they were in constant contact with Iran, with efforts underway to resolve misunderstandings and ensure Gulf countries are not targeted.

The in-camera meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was convened to brief parliamentary parties’ leaders and representatives of political parties on the Pakistan-Afghanistan situation, the conflict in the Middle East and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.

During the meeting, Sanaullah said, the participants supported Iran’s right to retaliate against Israel.

However, they believed Tehran’s response should not be directed at Gulf countries, he added.

Sanaullah said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also informed the meeting about his discussions with various countries, specifically Gulf states, to ease the tensions in the region.

According to Sanaullah, Dar conveyed that Iran had stated it would not carry out attacks against Saudi Arabia if Riyadh guaranteed that its territory would not be used against Tehran.

Citing Dar, he said that Pakistan’s exchanges with Iran and other countries were “quite positive”, emphasising that Pakistan was facilitating communication between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

He noted that Pakistan’s military and political leadership had previously played a key role in the previous negotiations concerning Iran.

Describing the situation in the Middle East, Sanaullah said a war had been imposed on Iran and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts were aimed at reaching an agreement to bring the conflict to an end.

The US may have assumed Iran would retreat after an initial major strike and accept all conditions unilaterally, he said, warning that the war in the region could be prolonged.

Since the beginning of the US-Israel assault on Iran on February 28, more than 1,000 people have been killed across the country, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

“During the military aggression… 1,045 of our dear military personnel and civilians” were killed, IRNA said, citing a statement from Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. Web Desk