ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister on Monday stressed the need for “collective efforts” to urgently end the Iran conflict, after Islamabad hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt for talks aimed at de-escalating the war.
The conflict, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran last month, has escalated into a broader regional confrontation, with Tehran launching retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel, US assets and Gulf states, while allied groups have opened new fronts across the Middle East.
The war has also severely disrupted global energy and shipping routes, with Iran effectively halting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, triggering a global energy shock and raising fears of prolonged instability.
On Sunday, Pakistan hosted foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt in Islamabad for high-level consultations focused on de-escalation efforts, including proposals to restore maritime traffic and create conditions for negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
“I stressed upon the need for collective efforts to urgently bring an end to hostilities that were causing heavy loss of life, economy and property not only in Iran, but across several brotherly Muslim countries,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement on X after meeting the visiting ministers.
Sharif said Pakistan remained committed to playing a positive role in bringing the United States and Iran to the negotiating table, while appreciating Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt’s support for efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.
In a separate statement. Sharif appreciated Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable restraint in these challenging times.”
“Recognizing the Kingdom’s leadership role in the Muslim Ummah, I underscored the importance of unity among Islamic countries,” his office said.
Pakistan, which like Turkiye borders Iran, has leveraged its close ties to both Tehran and Washington to emerge as a key diplomatic channel in the conflict, while Ankara and Cairo have also played a role.
At the end of the first day of talks in Islamabad on Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said foreign ministers from the regional powers had discussed “possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region,” and had been briefed on potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
The talks were held as Iran warned the US against launching a ground attack and global oil prices surged amid continued fighting between Iran, the US and Israel.
