WNAM REPORT: Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia remains firm, but diplomatic avenues must be explored to de-escalate tensions and prevent the wider region from becoming increasingly vulnerable, said Sardar Masood Khan, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Discussing the ongoing US-Iran diplomatic efforts, Sardar Masood Khan said the recent contacts between Washington and Tehran in New York were encouraging, particularly because they represented the first direct engagement through intermediaries after a prolonged period. He said the meetings served as an important confidence-building measure for the international community and international markets, although significant difficulties remained.
He said the agenda under discussion included the removal of the US naval blockade, unfreezing Iran’s frozen assets, lifting sanctions, including restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and cessation of hostilities on all fronts. He noted that these confidence-building measures could pave the way for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and eventually allow the two sides to address the sensitive nuclear issue.
Sardar Masood Khan said reports regarding oil flows and the functioning of alternative export routes should be viewed cautiously amid the uncertainty of the conflict. He noted reports that alternative pipelines through Saudi Arabia and the UAE had helped maintain oil exports, while US officials had also claimed that oil shipments were moving through the Strait of Hormuz under US protection. He stressed, however, that such developments did not mean the war had ended, with the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab continuing to present major challenges.
On Pakistan’s role, he said Islamabad had remained actively engaged in diplomacy throughout the crisis. He pointed to meetings by the Pakistani leadership with Iranian representatives on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and the facilitation of talks in coordination with Qatar. He said Pakistan’s diplomatic role was complemented by its commitments under the Makkah Alliance.
Sardar Masood Khan emphasized that Pakistan had made it clear that it would support Saudi Arabia under all circumstances, but said such support should not be understood only in military terms. “The soundest course of action would be to explore diplomatic avenues to de-escalate,” he said, stressing that continued escalation would make the entire region more vulnerable.
He also referred to the worsening Saudi-Houthi tensions and said that if the United States could engage the Houthis in Oman, there was scope for Saudi Arabia to pursue direct dialogue with them as well. Pakistan, he added, would be willing to assist such efforts.
Sardar Masood Khan said Pakistan’s approach remained anchored in diplomacy, de-escalation and dialogue, while maintaining its commitments to regional partners and supporting efforts aimed at preventing a wider conflict.
