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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about Islamabad's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tenuous West Asia situation. The prime minister said in a statement on X that he spoke with the crown prince and discussed the regional situation in addition to exchanging traditional Eid greetings. The call comes a day after Sharif offered to host talks between the US and Iran for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict. Sharif said that during the call, he appreciated the Kingdom's restraint and, "I stressed the urgent need for de-escalation, an end to hostilities, and unity in the ranks of the Ummah". "I also briefed His Royal Highness on Pakistan's diplomatic outreach efforts for regional peace and stability. We agreed to remain in close coordination," he said. Sharif also reiterated Pakistan's strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the Kingdom and reaffirmed Islamabad's unwavering solidarity and unequivocal
Iran's state television published a threat Wednesday, saying that the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The threat resembled other attack warnings put out by Iran during the war, copying the style used by the Israeli military. Iran specifically threatened Saudi Arabia's Samref Refinery and its Jubail Petrochemical Complex. It also threatened the UAE's Al Hasan Gas Field and the petrochemical plants and a refinery in the Qatar. It comes after Iran said its South Pars gas field and associated infrastructure came under attack earlier Wednesday.
Against the backdrop of spiralling hostilities between Iran and the US, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) focusing on various aspects of the evolving situation in West Asia. Jaishankar held the phone conversations with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Saturday night. "Discussed ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia," the external affairs minister said on social media on Sunday about his talks with the Saudi foreign minister. On his conversation with Zayed Al Nahyan, Jaishankar said: "Exchanged views on various aspects of the regional situation." It is learnt that India's energy security figured in Jaishankar's conversations with both foreign ministers. Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, th