FO calls strikes dangerous escalation as Pakistan’s US-Iran mediation enters ‘critical, sensitive’ phase
Smoke rises over Azadi Square after an attack amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran in Tehran on April 6. Photo: Reuters
The State Department on Tuesday expressed “its deep concern and unequivocal condemnation” of the missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran on energy facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mourned the loss of life and strongly regretted the damage to vital infrastructure, while conveying its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirming solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia at this difficult time.
Pakistan views these attacks as “a serious violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a dangerous escalation that undermines regional peace and stability,” the ministry said. It ended by reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security.
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Iran attacked a petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia’s industrial city of Jubail, located in the Eastern Province, Iran’s semi-officialFather’s News Bureau said. The Saudi government communications office, state oil giant Aramco and its petrochemical subsidiary SABIC did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comments.
The statement comes as Pakistan’s “positive and productive” efforts to end the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran are approaching a “critical, sensitive” phase, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said in a post on X Tuesday.
Pakistan’s positive and productive efforts in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war are approaching a critical, sensitive phase…
Stay tuned for more
— Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) 7 April 2026
Pakistan, which has emerged as an important back channel for mediation between the US and Iran, signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September last year. The agreement maintains that an external attack on either country will be considered an attack on both, leading to joint defense.
With Pakistan’s mediation efforts under way, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Vice President JD Vance, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are talking to mediators in Pakistan.
Asked by a reporter during his press conference if he expected Vance to continue talks with intermediaries in Pakistan, Trump replied: “Well, he is, and we have Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner talking. They’re all united and they’re all talking.” Asked about the possibility of Vance being part of an in-person meeting, Trump said, “could be.”
Meanwhile, Iran has said it wants a permanent end to the war with the US and Israel and is pushing back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it fails to meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.
