Pakistan’s Khan visits Riyadh in latest Saudi-Iran mediation efforts

Khan’s visit on Saturday is the fourth such trip to the kingdom since May, a ministry spokesman said on Friday.

2 min read

14 December, 2019

Khan's mediation was requested by Trump and the Saudi crown prince [Getty]

Pakistan's prime minister is due to visit Saudi Arabia on Saturday to mediate between its Gulf ally and neighbouring Iran, in the latest efforts to calm tensions in the region.

Imran Khan's visit to Riyadh is focused on talks with the kingdom’s leadership to continue mediation efforts amid increasing tension with Iran, a spokesman for the Pakistan foreign ministry said.

Khan's visit on Saturday is the fourth such trip to the kingdom since May, spokesman Muhammed Faisal said on Friday.

"We continue to make sincere efforts regarding the role of Pakistani mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran," Faisal added.

The visit follows recent talks by other senior Pakistani officials with Saudi leaders in the kingdom, including the foreign minister and director of Pakistan's intelligence agency.

Khan had also visited Iran in October following talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a month earlier as well as meetings with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Pakistan's mediation efforts between the two regional rivals was announced after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities in September that halved the kingdom's crude output and set oil markets alight.

The Pakistani prime minister at the time confirmed mediation was requested by US President Donald Trump and the Saudi crown prince.

Pakistan has strong relations with Saudi Arabia - over 2.5 million of its nationals live and work in the kingdom - but also maintains good relations with Iran and represents Tehran's consular interests in the United States.

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