NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD — Saudi Arabia intensified its diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the ongoing military confrontation between India and Pakistan, as Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls on Saturday with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. During both calls, Prince Faisal underscored the Kingdom's commitment to the security and stability of the region and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's balanced and close ties with both friendly nations. The calls followed a visit earlier in the week by Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir to New Delhi and Islamabad on May 8 and 9, carried out under the directives of the Saudi leadership. The visit was part of the Kingdom's broader diplomatic push to halt military escalation and encourage a resolution through dialogue and diplomatic channels. According to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs released Friday evening, Al-Jubeir's mission was aimed at reducing tensions, ending hostilities, and promoting peaceful solutions to the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. On Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Al-Jubeir in Islamabad, where the two discussed the evolving situation in South Asia. In an official statement, the Pakistani government said Sharif expressed appreciation for King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and praised the positive trajectory of bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia. The escalation follows Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory Wednesday in response to a deadly April 22 attack in Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of supporting a militant group suspected of carrying out the bombing that killed 26 people in the tourist town of Pahalgam. Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement. The missile exchanges, artillery shelling, and drone attacks have continued since then, marking the most intense military confrontation between the two countries in more than two decades. The international community has repeatedly urged both sides to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation.
