Pakistan will do its utmost to enable talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday in Tehran, adding that he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
"Pakistan does not want conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia...I am happy to facilitate talks between Tehran and Riyadh...I am very hopeful as I had constructive talks with the (Iranian) president," Khan told a joint news conference with President Hassan Rouhani, broadcast live on state TV.
In talks with Khan, Rouhani repeated Iran's official line that the United States must return to the 2015 nuclear deal and lift sanctions before any talks can take place.
"Any goodwill gesture and good words will be reciprocated with a goodwill gesture and good words," he said.
Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal in May last year and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Pakistan denied on Friday that Saudi Arabia had asked Khan to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran.
“There are reports in certain foreign media that the Saudi authorities and some even stated that the Crown Prince had conveyed a letter or a message to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to be further delivered to the Iranian leadership for dialogue between Iran and the Kingdom,” it said in a statement.
“These reports are without any basis as no such letter or message was conveyed, nor has Saudi Arabia asked Pakistan to play any mediatory role with Iran” it added.
