- Iran sought assurances from Saudi Arabia regarding use of territory: Sanaullah.
- He says Iran’s response should not be directed at Gulf countries.
- Pakistan working on deal to end conflict: Sanaullah.
Pakistan is working to persuade Iran to stop its attacks on Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday, as war intensifies in the Middle East following joint attacks by the United States and Israel across Iran.
Speaking on PK Press Club News Speaking on ‘PK Press Club Pakistan’ show, he said that the military leadership, during today’s closed-door briefing, informed that they were in constant contact with Iran and efforts were on to resolve misunderstandings and ensure that Gulf countries were not targeted.
The closed-door meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was convened to brief parliamentary party leaders and representatives of political parties about the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Middle East conflict and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
During the meeting, Sanaullah said, participants supported Iran’s right to retaliate against Israel.
However, they believe Tehran’s response should not be directed against the Gulf countries, he added.
Sanaullah said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also briefed the meeting about his discussions with various countries, especially the Gulf states, to ease tensions in the region.
According to Sanaullah, Dar said Iran had said it would not carry out attacks against Saudi Arabia if Riyadh guaranteed that its territory would not be used against Tehran.
Quoting Dar, he said Pakistan’s exchanges with Iran and other countries were “quite positive”, stressing that Pakistan was facilitating communication between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
He pointed out that Pakistan’s military and political leadership had already played a key role in previous negotiations regarding 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 end the conflict.
The United States may have assumed that Iran would withdraw after a first major strike and accept all conditions unilaterally, he said, warning that the war in the region could drag on.
Since the US-Israeli attack on Iran began on February 28, more than 1,000 people have been killed across the country. IRNA reported Wednesday.
“During the military aggression… 1,045 of our dear soldiers and civilians” were killed, IRNA said, citing a statement from the Iranian Martyrs and Veterans Foundation.
