PM, Saudi crown prince discuss Middle East war and mediation

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call on Wednesday from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

During the call the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s full support and commitment to stand firmly with the Kingdom against repeated Iranian attacks threatening its security and sovereignty, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the call the two leaders discussed the latest regional developments, the repercussions of the ongoing military escalation on regional and global security and stability, and the efforts being made in this regard.

The call came as Shehbaz Sharif indicated that he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran on ending the war in the Gulf, a day after President Donald Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been “productive” talks. In a post on X, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan welcomed and fully supported efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war.

Trump has claimed that the US and Iran held productive talks toward a peaceful outcome, a claim the Iranian military denied.

However, US, Israeli and Iranian strikes have continued and sources said Washington was preparing to send more troops to the region.

Sources told Reuters on Tuesday that the US was expected to send thousands of soldiers from the army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.

The forces will add to the 50,000 US troops already in the region and accelerate Washington’s huge US military buildup there, fueling ⁠fears of a longer ⁠conflict.

Pakistan’s role as a possible host of talks aimed at ending the Iran war builds on its courtship of Trump and its reputation as a relatively neutral player with long-standing ties to neighboring Iran. Monitoring Desk