Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday, engaged in a phone conversation with King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, conveying Pakistan’s support following drone strikes by Iran on Gulf nations.
Tensions escalated throughout the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel executed coordinated attacks on Iran.
In retaliation, Iran targeted US military installations in Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, leading to widespread denunciations from regional authorities.
Saudi Arabia also confirmed that Iran had initiated attacks in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
Iran launches drone strikes in the Middle East
On Sunday, Tehran conducted missile and drone strikes in the Middle East for the second consecutive day, responding to the ongoing US-Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During his discussion with King Hamad, PM Shehbaz Sharif, who previously referred to Khamenei’s assassination as a “breach” of international law, conveyed Pakistan’s support for Bahrain amid the Iran strikes and called for restraint to achieve peace in the Middle East.
“I expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over the recent escalation in the region following Israeli assaults on Iran and the subsequent attacks on Jordan and other brotherly nations,” the Prime Minister stated on X, after his phone call with King Abdullah of Jordan.
This development has cast uncertainty over the future of the Islamic Republic and heightened the risk of further instability in the already volatile region.
Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting to assess the internal and regional security situation, according to his office, in light of the nationwide protests following the assassination of Khamenei and Islamabad’s current military operation against Afghan forces.
Read more: World reacts after Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei martyred in US-Israel strikes
