Pakistani Primer Minister Imran Khan says he is trying to defuse tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Pakistan’s Premier Imran Khan told journalists in Islamabad on Thursday that his government was trying to arrange a meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries to further ease tensions.
Khan has recently met with both Iranian and Saudi officials in a bid to find a middle ground to bring the two regional powers to a negotiating table.
Saudi Arabia has been caught with less options to end the war in Yemen, that itself initiated, to its own favor.
Notably, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper also visited Saudi Arabia on Monday, with tensions simmering between Washington and Tehran, and Russia seeking to boost its influence in the Middle East.
U.S.-Iran tensions have risen to new highs since May 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from an international accord that put limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions.
As reinstated sanctions put pressure on Iran’s economy, there have been a series of attacks which Washington and close allies blame on Tehran. Iran denies responsibility.
Furthermore, the United States has deployed about 3,000 additional military forces since May to bolster Saudi defenses, including an air expeditionary wing and air defense personnel.
Iran has responded apprehensively to previous U.S. troop deployments this year. But Riyadh and Tehran have shown a willingness to talk.
