‘Create space for dialogue’: PM Shehbaz Sharif urges restraint amid regional crisis

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday commended Sultan of Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for Muscat’s constructive efforts in facilitating dialogue and building trust among regional and international stakeholders, amid deteriorating security situation in the Middle East following recent hostilities between Israel and Iran.

PM Shehbaz said this during a telephone conversation with the sultan of Oman.

The two leaders discussed the prevailing regional situation that had aggravated following Israel’s attack on Iran as well as subsequent hostilities that had endangered the peace and security of the entire region, the PM Office said.

The premier stressed upon the urgent need to prevent further escalation and to create space for resumption of diplomatic initiatives.

The prime minister said that the escalation had taken place at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to reduce US-Iran tensions, facilitated by Oman.

“The attacks had not only derailed the delicate diplomatic process, but had also undermined efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in the region,” he added.

Appreciating Oman’s mediatory role, PM Shehbaz acknowledged that Oman’s balanced and forward-looking diplomacy was a stabilising force in the region.

Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting all diplomatic measures aimed at restoring calm and ensuring lasting stability across the region.

The development comes as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening salvo of a massive US and Israeli attack, as the two powers seek to topple the Islamic republic, AFP reported.

READ MORE: Ayatollah Khamenei assassinated in US-Israeli airstrikes: state media

Iranian state television confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump declared that Khamenei died in the conflict that had defined his rule of Iran, and a senior Israeli official told Reuters his body had been found following US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

In retaliation, thunderous blasts and towering fireballs from Iranian missiles streaked across Gulf states, “under the pretext of targeting US bases”.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar a day ago spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.

They expressed serious concern over the ongoing escalation in the region and underscored the urgent need for restraint, dialogue, and de-escalation to preserve peace and stability.

Both agreed to remain in close contact over the evolving situation.

PM Shehbaz also on Sunday held contacts with different Middle Eastern leaders, emphasising the “urgent need for restraint, de-escalation, and dialogue” to preserve regional peace following recent hostilities in the Middle East.

In separate telephonic conversations with King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, the prime minister discussed the volatile security situation arising from the recent escalation between US, Israel and Iran, which has impacted several regional countries.