PM Imran Khan to visit Iran today to reduce Saudi-Iran tension

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Iran on October 13 for mediation to reduce tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran. During his visit, he will hold an important meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Sources said that Imran Khan will also visit Saudi Arabia soon after the Iran visit. During weekly briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Faisal said: “The possibility of a visit of the prime minister to Saudi Arabia and Iran is on the cards and I will update you as things unfold.” The announcement of the possible visit comes after Imran Khan last month described a request by US President Donald Trump, asking the Pakistani leader to help defuse tensions with Iran. Washington had blamed Tehran for an attack on the world’s biggest crude oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia. Dr Faisal declined to comment when asked whether the visit was related to the mediation request. Tensions have elevated between Iran and Saudi Arabia since the attack, which took place on Sept. 14. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015, has claimed responsibility, but Washington and Riyadh say they believe the attack came from the opposite direction and blame Iran. Iran denies involvement. Imran Khan said after a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he was ‘trying and mediating’ and had also spoken with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. Prime Minister Imran Khan has ramped up his government’s engagement on the international stage, offering to negotiate regional tensions. He has separately proposed to Trump that Pakistan could help broker peace in neighboring Afghanistan.