Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz. Photo courtesy of Anadolu.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a short official visit following a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to state media.
During the visit, Sharif is set to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss regional security, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and bilateral relations between the two countries, Radio Pakistan reported.
The trip follows Sharif’s Wednesday call with Pezeshkian, who emphasized that resolving the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran requires recognition of Iran’s “legitimate rights” and international assurances against “future aggression.”
In September last year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement, pledging that any attack on one nation would be considered an attack on both.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone conversation with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Thursday.
Dar said the diplomats discussed the latest developments in the region and other matters of mutual interest, posting updates on social media platform X.
The Middle East conflict escalated after Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,300 people, including Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and over 150 schoolgirls.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US troops, leaving at least eight American service members dead and around 140 injured, while three Pakistani citizens have also died. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven oil prices higher, prompting Pakistan to raise fuel costs and seek alternative oil shipments via the Red Sea with Saudi Arabia.