On the eve of a possible second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a four-day visit.
Last week, high-level talks between Washington and Tehran were held in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, marking the first such engagement in decades. Building on that dialogue, Sharif is scheduled to meet senior Saudi officials. His delegation includes Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who has been playing a mediating role in the US-Iran talks, along with other senior officials.
Middle East tensions and diplomatic efforts
According to the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif will hold special discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the “regional situation” and tensions between the United States and Iran. After Saudi Arabia, he is set to visit Qatar and Turkey. In Turkey, he will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and also hold bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Middle East conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. In retaliation, Iran targeted US-allied countries in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and disrupted energy exports, causing global oil prices to surge.
The Islamabad talks were initiated as part of efforts to end the conflict. Although the first round did not produce concrete results, bringing both sides to the negotiating table has been seen as a significant step forward. US President Donald Trump has announced a two-week ceasefire and indicated that talks could resume in Islamabad later this week. While the United States has ordered a naval blockade of Iran, the ceasefire—set to expire next week—remains in effect for now.
Army chief in Iran, $8 billion relief from Saudi Arabia
While Prime Minister Sharif is in Saudi Arabia, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief General Asim Munir has arrived in Iran. Munir was welcomed in Tehran by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Iranian state television, he carried a “new message” from Washington and is there to discuss the second phase of talks.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s struggling economy has received major financial relief from Riyadh during the Prime Minister’s visit. Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will provide $3 billion to boost Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves.
In addition, Saudi Arabia has extended indefinitely the $5 billion deposit it had previously placed in Pakistan’s central bank. This financial package comes just days after Pakistan stated it would repay billions of dollars in loans to the United Arab Emirates.
