PM Shehbaz telephones Emir of Qatar, condemns 'serious regional escalation'

Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday evening held a telephone discussion with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

During the call, the prime minister denounced the serious regional tensions sparked by Israel’s attack on Iran earlier in the day, which were followed by unfortunate assaults targeting Qatar and other Gulf nations.

Recalling their recent meeting in Doha, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the brotherly State of Qatar amid the ongoing crisis.

He assured the Emir that Pakistan would remain a reliable partner, standing in solidarity with the people of Qatar and contributing constructively toward regional peace and stability.

Israel and the United States (US) launched joint military strikes against Iran on Saturday, triggering a sharp escalation in the Middle East and pushing the region into a volatile new phase of conflict.

President Donald Trump described the attacks as a preventive measure aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities and stopping its progress toward developing nuclear weapons, emphasizing the threat Washington believes Tehran poses to global security.

Iran retaliated almost immediately, firing a wide-ranging missile assault targeting locations in Gulf countries as well as Israel.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that its strikes were directed at the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, other American military bases in the Gulf, and selected sites within Israel.

Explosions were reported and air defense systems activated in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and parts of Iraq, illustrating the broad scale of the unfolding crisis.

The missile barrage followed repeated Iranian warnings that any attack on its territory would provoke a strong counterstrike. Governments across the Gulf confirmed that their airspace had been targeted.

Authorities in Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan said their defense systems intercepted incoming missiles, while in Abu Dhabi, UAE state media reported one person killed amid the escalation that reverberated across the region.