Islamabad, January 12: Pakistan's foreign minister is visiting Tehran on Sunday in a bid to defuse rising tensions in the region after the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike. For decades Pakistan has tried to balance its strong relationship with Saudi Arabia and ties with Iran, with whom it shares a near 1,000-kilometre (625-mile) border.
Sunday's visit comes as tensions mount across the Middle East following the 62-year-old general's death in Iraq, and Iran's admission that it shot down an airliner by mistake, killing 176 people on board. US Iran Tension: Donald Trump 'Closely Following' Tehran Protests, Says 'There Can't be Another Massacre of Peaceful Protesters, Not an Internet Shutdown'.
"Recent developments seriously endanger peace and security in an already volatile region and underscore the need for immediate and collective efforts for a peaceful resolution," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi will convey to Iran "Pakistan's readiness to support all efforts that facilitate resolution of differences and disputes through political and diplomatic means", it said.