Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced today, Sunday, from Tehran that he is taking a special initiative to defuse the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which is the result of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, and stressed that the dialogue will solve the crisis between the two countries.
In a press conference in the Iranian capital with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Khan said, "We do not want a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran and we believe that the dispute between them can be resolved through dialogue," denying that his private initiative is mediating between the two countries.
He added that the move he is taking is a special initiative to facilitate relations between Riyadh and Tehran, not mediation, explaining that the main reason for his visit to Iran is to work to reduce tension in the region in which he said he does not need a new conflict or a new crisis in it.
For his part, the Iranian President welcomed any efforts of the Pakistani Prime Minister to achieve security and stability in the region, adding that his country would respond to any proposal for dialogue positively.
Rouhani said that he discussed with Khan the files of the region and stressed the necessity of its stability, adding that the key to solving problems is ending the Yemen war, stopping the hostilities in this country immediately, and providing aid to the Yemenis.
He also said that the solution to end the conflict in the region is dialogue between its countries and stopping the war in Yemen, stressing that any country that believes that it is able to target the region without response is wrong.
Soon after arriving in the Iranian capital on a short visit, Khan met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and later Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and they had talks with them, which the official Iranian News Agency said focused on relations between the two countries.
The Pakistani Prime Minister's Office had previously said that Khan would return - after the end of his visit to Iran - to Pakistan, before heading to Saudi Arabia next Tuesday.
Earlier, the Iranian government confirmed that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan conveyed to the Iranians a message from Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, requesting dialogue with Tehran.
With the increasing talk of Pakistani mediation between the two countries, Tehran has expressed its willingness to engage with Riyadh, with or without mediation, to remove what it described as misunderstanding between the two parties.
Secret visit For
its part, the Pakistani newspaper "Express Tribune" quoted sources in the Pakistani government as saying that the visits of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to Iran and Saudi Arabia were preceded by an important secret visit of high-ranking Pakistani officials to both countries.
The newspaper reported that Imran Khan decided to visit Tehran and Riyadh after Pakistani officials found a response from both sides, with efforts to find a solution to the conflict between them.
The tension between Tehran and Riyadh has become more severe due to the attacks on Saudi vital facilities, including the recent attack on Aramco's facilities in the eastern region of the Kingdom, which Riyadh said Iran was responsible for.