Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed the country’s commitment to support Saudi Arabia whenever required, while stressing that Islamabad is also working to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi highlighted the long-standing relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, noting it has always been based on mutual support and cooperation.

“One thing to really be very clear about right at the top, the question isn’t whether Pakistan might come to Saudi Arabia’s aid. I think both countries, even before the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, have always operated on a principle of being there for the other before they need the other. There’s no question that we might, we will, no matter what and no matter when,” he said.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply after US and Israeli air strikes last week assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, triggering a wave of retaliation from Tehran and widening the conflict across the region. In response to the strikes, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on US military bases in several Gulf countries, significantly expanding the scope of the confrontation.

Pakistan’s leadership has since ramped up its diplomatic efforts to play its part in managing the tensions, particularly between Iran and the Gulf states.

Zaidi said Pakistan was focused on preventing a broader regional conflict that could further destabilise the Middle East and affect Pakistan’s own interests.

“The real question is, what is Pakistan doing to make sure that things don’t come to a point where any of its closest partners are further embroiled, further sucked into a conflict that potentially undermines stability and prosperity, not just for the region at large, but especially for the Pakistani people,” he added.

He said Pakistan had been actively engaging regional and global partners in recent days. Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Saudi Arabia recently, while Islamabad has also remained in contact with Iranian leaders and maintained dialogue with the United States.

“I think over the past six or seven days, there’s been a whole series of conversations. And I have to say, one of the things that I think Pakistanis really admire is the way in which Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states have actually resisted being drawn in,” he said.

Zaidi noted that some voices in the United States had urged Gulf states to become more actively involved in the conflict, but regional governments had so far avoided deeper involvement.

“We’ve seen all kinds of appeals from some people in the United States and other places wanting the Saudis and the other countries in the GCC to get more actively involved. But they’ve resisted. And I think that, in part, that’s part of what Pakistan wants to see is greater,” he said.