Pakistan: We discussed with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt ways to end the war "permanently"

SadaNews - Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the possibility of US-Iranian negotiations to settle the conflict in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, in the coming days.

Dar stated that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt discussed on Sunday "possible ways to end the war in the Middle East early and permanently".

The four countries held joint talks in Islamabad aimed at de-escalating the US-Iranian war.

Dar added in a video statement that all parties expressed confidence in Pakistan's mediation efforts, and that China "fully supports" the initiative to host the potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

He continued: "Pakistan is honored to host and facilitate serious negotiations between the two sides in the coming days to reach a comprehensive and lasting solution to the current conflict... Pakistan is very pleased with the trust both Iran and the United States have in its ability to facilitate these negotiations".

This follows a meeting on Sunday in Islamabad, where the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey held talks regarding the war in the Middle East amid Pakistan's mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.

The quadrilateral meeting among the foreign ministers of those countries lasted a few hours in Islamabad.

The Pakistani government has positioned itself as a key mediator between Iran and the United States, also playing a role in conveying messages between Tehran and Washington regarding the war that erupted in the Middle East following a US-Israeli attack on Tehran on February 28.

Islamabad maintains long-standing relations with Tehran and close ties with Gulf countries, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir have developed personal relationships with former US President Donald Trump.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that the talks, which were held under tight security measures at his ministry's headquarters and without any US, Israeli, or Iranian representation, came at a "crucial moment". He wrote on X: "Our candid and constructive discussions focus on regional developments and promoting peace and stability while strengthening our partnership and deepening our cooperation".

For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry indicated that the talks addressed efforts to stop the escalation of the conflict and to encourage a "negotiation track" between Tehran and Washington to prevent the region from "slipping into a state of complete chaos".

Ishaq Dar held separate meetings on Sunday morning with his counterparts: Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan, Egypt’s Badr Abdel-Aty, and Turkey’s Hakan Fidan. They all then met Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are linked by a mutual defense agreement. In another meeting, Sharif informed Farhan that Riyadh had shown "notable restraint" during the crisis.

The statement mentioned: "Emphasizing the Kingdom's leadership role in the Islamic nation, the Prime Minister stressed the necessity of enhancing unity among Islamic countries during this critical time".