Says military and political leadership in constant contact with Iran and Gulf countries to de-escalate situation
Rana Sanaullah. PHOTO: FILE
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday that Pakistan was acting as a mediator between Saudi Arabia and Iran to defuse tensions, as Tehran targeted US bases in the Gulf region and oil refineries in Saudi Arabia following strikes by the United States and Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The US and Israel launched joint strikes in Iran last week that killed 201 and injured over 700. Iranian state media confirmed that Khamenei died while working in his central leadership compound, alongside family members, including his daughter and grandchildren. Since then, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in surrounding Gulf States, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq, causing multiple countries to temporarily shut their airspace.
Speaking in an interview on the private news channel programme Geo Pakistan about Pakistan’s diplomacy amid the situation, Sanaullah said: “Pakistan is actively mediating between Iran and Gulf countries to prevent the conflict in the region from escalating. In today’s in-camera meeting, the political and military leadership briefed that they have maintained communication with Iran to resolve misunderstandings and prevent attacks on Gulf countries.”
He added that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also briefed the in-camera session on ongoing discussions with Iran.
“According to Dar, Iran has stated that if Saudi Arabia guarantees its territory will not be used against Iran, it would refrain from carrying out attacks, he said.
Sanaullah said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts were focused on ensuring that the war imposed on Iran ended with an agreement..
Read More: Dar reminds Iran of Pak-Saudi defence pact
“In previous negotiations, our political and military leadership played an active role to reach a settlement on this matter,” Sanaullah added.
He noted that while significant progress had been made in prior agreements, recent US and Israel attacks had no justification, adding that Iran had the full right to respond to any violations of its sovereignty.
“Perhaps the US assumed that after Khamenei’s death, Iran would back down and accept American conditions, but that did not happen. Iran responded strongly, and it seems the conflict could be prolonged,” he said.
Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in touch with regional leaders to ensure de-escalation.
“Gulf countries have informed the prime minister that US bases were established in these areas long ago, and Pakistan agrees that Iran should not carry out attacks,” he added.
Also Read: US strikes 2,000 targets in Iran as retaliation spreads across Gulf region
Commenting on Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, launched in response to “unprovoked action” from across the Afghan border, Sanaullah said Pakistan’s objective was to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism and to create a buffer zone monitored jointly by friendly nations.
He noted that Pakistan had also engaged with Afghanistan in talks, although progress was difficult due to India’s influence in the country.
Commenting on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) absence from the in-camera session, Sanaullah said it was invited to attend the meeting, but its political committee stated this morning that it would only participate if a meeting with Imran Khan was arranged first.
“We told them that this is a national issue, and if they had attended, it would have made proceeding with other matters easier,” he added.
