Sharif expresses Pakistan’s ‘full support’ to Saudi Arabia in meeting with crown prince

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his country's "full solidarity and support" for Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, an official statement said.

Sharif arrived in the Saudi city Thursday, a day after speaking by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian amid escalating tensions following US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

During a restricted meeting, the two leaders held an "in-depth exchange of views" on regional developments and agreed to work together for peace and stability, said Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for the Pakistani prime minister.

"Pakistan would always stand firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and strive for their mutual desire for peace in the region," Sharif said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact in September, pledging that an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on both.

Regional tensions have escalated as Tehran has targeted Israel, and US-linked bases in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries as the US and Israel continue their military campaign against Iran, which has killed about 1,300 people, including the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

During his phone call with Sharif on Wednesday, the Iranian president had said the only way to end the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran is through recognizing his country's "legitimate rights" and firm international guarantees against "future aggression."