Pakistan urges efforts to de-escalate tensions after Iranian attacks on US base

Expressing serious concern over Iran’s missile attacks on a US military base in Qatar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged that all efforts must be made to de-escalate tensions and restore peace in the region.

During a telephonic conversation with Qatar’s ambassador to Pakistan Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater, PM Shehbaz expressed solidarity with the government and people of Qatar at this difficult time.

The Qatari ambassador thanked the premier for immediately reaching out to him after this most unfortunate development.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz also held a telephonic conversation with Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al Malkiy and stressed the need for defusing tensions in the Middle East.

“Pakistan will continue to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to intensify peace efforts,” he added.

The Saudi ambassador thanked the premier for reaching out to him immediately after this serious development that could imperil the peace and stability of the region.

He agreed that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan must continue to work together and coordinate closely to ensure an early peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Earlier today, Iran launched a missile attack on the US Al Udeid Air Base in the Gulf state, the largest American military facility in the region.

The attack — described by Iran’s military as "devastating and powerful" — marked a major escalation in the widening conflict.

The strike followed threats from Tehran to retaliate for recent US airstrikes that targeted its underground nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz using 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs. The US had joined Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran after what it called a breach of international nuclear safeguards.