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Arab News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan reaches out to key allies amid ‘serious escalation' in Middle East tensions
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with the ambassadors of Pakistan's key allies China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Islamabad, as the foreign office expressed concern over a 'serious escalation' in Middle East tensions. Sharif's meetings with the envoys took place a day after Iran launched missiles against a US air base in Qatar on Monday, causing no casualties, in retaliation for the US dropping 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities over the weekend. Hours later, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement of an Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement, suggesting he may have bombed Tehran's rulers back to the negotiating table. Tensions have remained high since June 13, when Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities and targeted senior military leadership. Iran has since retaliated with repeated missile strikes against Israel, raising fears of a wider regional conflict and prompting international calls for restraint. 'Pakistan expresses its deep concern and alarm at the serious escalation in the security situation in the region as a result of attacks against USA's Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar,' the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday, urging all sides to exercise restraint and respect fundamental principles of international law. On Monday morning, Sharif held separate meetings with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and Qatari envoy Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater. 'Pakistan will continue to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy' the PM said on his X account. Sharif also met Qatari envoy Al-Khater to express solidarity with the Gulf country following Iran's attack on the air base. In the afternoon, the premier met China's Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, who, according to a statement from Sharif's office, 'lauded the proactive and positive role being played by Pakistan at every diplomatic forum, including at the UN Security Council, for a peaceful settlement of the [Middle East] crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.' China has sought to expand its diplomatic footprint in the Middle East in recent years and notably brokered the Saudi Arabia–Iran rapprochement in 2023, which boosted its credibility as a regional peacemaker. It has also offered to help mediate the current crisis, though it plays a more behind-the-scenes role compared to the US or regional states like Qatar or Oman. Pakistan has condemned Israel's strikes against Iran and repeatedly called for de-escalation in the region. Islamabad has also offered diplomatic support to Tehran at international forums and defended Iran's right to respond to Israeli and US aggression under the UN Charter, carefully balancing this stance with its close security cooperation and economic partnership with the United States, a major backer of Israel. The US and Israel say their goal is to cripple Tehran's nuclear program.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Says He Hopes There'll Be ‘No Further Hate' After Iran Retaliation
Here are some key takeaways: Iran launched missiles at a US air base in Qatar after vowing it would respond 'proportionately and decisively' against President Donald Trump's weekend airstrikes on three key nuclear facilities. Qatar said it successfully intercepted all the missiles and that there were no casualties in the Monday night attack on Al Udeid base. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the number of missiles fired matched the number of bombs dropped by the US on the Islamic Republic days before and the strike 'poses no danger' to Qatar. Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran's attack was 'very effectively countered.' The US president said he hopes there will be 'no further hate': 'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.' Iran's retaliation was telegraphed and had been expected by the US and its allies, according to a person familiar with western intelligence assessments. The base was evacuated beforehand, and US and UK diplomatic missions advised Doha-based residents earlier in the day to shelter in place. One diplomat in the Gulf said the orchestrated strike was designed to give everyone a way out. Oil fell more than 8% after the strike that steered clear of the region's energy assets, in a sign that the market is taking the calibrated nature of this response as a positive. US stocks also pushed higher, with the S&P 500 up 1% at the end of regular trading.
The National
a day ago
- The National
UAE flights disrupted: Etihad anticipates disruption for coming days
Etihad Airways anticipates flight disruption for "coming days", as airspace closes around the region, after an Iranian attack on Al Udeid US air base in Qatar. ' Etihad Airways is rerouting a number of its flights on Monday 23 June and Tuesday 24 June in response to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East,' an Etihad Airways representative confirmed to The National on Monday. 'This is a developing situation and the airline is continuously monitoring security and airspace updates. This is likely to cause some disruption and delay to a number of flights over the coming days.' The airline urged passengers to to check the status of their flight online. "Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspace, safety is always our highest priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so," the airline representative said. At the time of writing, several flights were on track to land at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, including Etihad flight EY477 from Denpasar to Abu Dhabi, which is on track to land at 11.30pm GST. Other flights have been rerouted. Etihad flight EY289, from Lahore to Abu Dhabi, has been rerouted to Karachi; and EY241 from Ahmedabad to Abu Dhabi has returned to Ahmedabad.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Iran Missile Strike on Qatar Base Fits De-Escalation Playbook
Iran's missile attack on a US air base in Qatar was telegraphed well in advance, suggesting Tehran intended a symbolic show of force while offering a way to de-escalate after US airstrikes over the weekend. The Monday night assault, which involved short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which officials said had been largely evacuated. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the number of missiles fired matched the number of bombs dropped by the US on the Islamic Republic days before and the strike 'poses no danger' to Qatar, which it called 'our friendly and brotherly country.'
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Persian Gulf on Edge as Iran Fires Missiles at US Base in Qatar
The Persian Gulf is on edge as Iran fires missiles at a US air base in Qatar. Airspace over Qatar and the UAE were shut down. Some see this as a one-off response from Iran. Bloomberg's Joumanna Bercetche explains the significance of Qatar, she reports from Dubai. (Source: Bloomberg)
