Pakistan to host Saudi, Turkey, Egypt for talks on Mid-East war

Pakistan’s prime minister said he had a “detailed” call with Iran’s president on March 28, as foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey prepared to meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East.



Shehbaz Sharif’s government has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as their war drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.



Top diplomats from Riyadh, Cairo and Ankara are due in the Pakistani capital on March 29 and March 30 for “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region”, the Pakistan foreign ministry said.



They will be hosted by their Pakistani counterpart, Mr Ishaq Dar, and a meeting with Sharif is also planned.



Egypt also confirmed the talks.



As part of preparations, Sharif said he had a “detailed telephone conversation with my brother President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran earlier today , lasting over one hour”.