Pakistan PM in Iran for talks

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has arrived in Tehran to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.

Sharif, who is heading a high-ranking delegation, was welcomed at Tehran Mehrabad airport by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan yesterday.

During his day-long stay in Tehran, Sharif is scheduled to sit down with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri.

Sharif is visiting Iran after making an official trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday.

In Riyadh, Sharif expressed “deep concern” to Saudi King Salman over escalating tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.

“The prime minister expressed our deep concern on the recent escalation of tensions” between Iran and Saudi Arabia following the January 2 execution of prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said.

“He also called for an early resolution of differences through peaceful means, in the larger interest of [Islamic] Ummah, particularly during these challenging times,” Khalilullah added.

Nimr’s execution was widely censured by Muslims and human rights activists around the globe as well as different governments.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran on January 3 following demonstrations outside the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters. The Saudi diplomatic premises was attacked by some during the demonstrations. Iranian officials strongly denounced the raids and have arrested over 150 people over the incident.

Besides Pakistan, other countries, including Russia and China, have voiced readiness to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, new airstrikes by Saudi Arabia against Yemen have killed at least 14 civilians, mostly women and children, local media report.

Yemen’s al-Masira television channel said in a news flash that the fatalities were caused on Monday night when Saudi warplanes bombarded the Maran district in Yemen’s Sa’ada Province. At least five people were also wounded in the raids. Counteroffensives by the Yemeni army and allied forces hitting targets within Saudi Arabia have thwarted military attempts by the kingdom to advance inside Yemen, the Yemeni army says. — PressTV.