- Iran sought Saudi assurances on territory use: Sanaullah.
- Says Iran’s response should not be directed at Gulf countries.
- Pakistan working for deal to end conflict: Sanaullah.
Pakistan is working to persuade Iran to stop its attacks on Saudi Arabia, adviser to the prime minister on political affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday, as a war escalates in the Middle East following joint attacks by the US and Israel across Iran.
Talking further Pakinomist news show, ‘Pakinomist Pakistan’, he said 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 that the Gulf countries are not targeted.
The in-camera meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was convened to brief parliamentary party 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, participants supported Iran’s right to retaliate against Israel.
But they believed that Tehran’s response should not be aimed at 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, specifically the Gulf states, to ease tensions in the region.
According to Sanaullah, Dar conveyed that Iran had declared that it would not carry out attacks against Saudi Arabia if Riyadh guaranteed that its territory would not be used against Tehran.
Referring to Dar, he said that Pakistan’s exchanges with Iran and other countries were “quite positive”, stressing 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 on Iran.
Describing the situation in the Middle East, Sanaullah said that a war had been forced on Iran and that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts were aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict.
The United States may have assumed Iran would back down after a first major attack and accept all terms unilaterally, he said, warning that the war in the region could be prolonged.
Since the beginning of the US-Israeli attack on Iran 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 military personnel and civilians were killed, IRNA said, citing a statement from Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs.
