TEHRAN — Pakistan’s U.S.-requested mediation efforts between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been making slow progress, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday.

“Our mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia has not stopped and we are making progress, but slowly,” Reuters quoted Khan as saying, citing Al Jazeera.

“We have done our best to avoid a military confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and our efforts have succeeded,” he said.

Khan visited Tehran on October 13 to “facilitate” possible dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia which have been at loggerheads over a number of issues including the Saudi war on Yemen and Riyadh’s support for the U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-Iran moves.

Khan met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

During a joint press conference with Khan in Tehran on October 13, Rouhani, without mentioning Saudi Arabia, suggested that Iran will give a positive response to “good intention”.

Rouhani said Iran “welcomes efforts by the Pakistani prime minister to settle tensions in the region” and “restore peace and stability”.

During the meeting with Khan, Ayatollah Khamenei said that ending the war on Yemen will have positive effects on Wes Asia.

The Leader said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran presented a four-point plan to end the war in Yemen a long time ago and if this war ends in the right way, it can have positive effects on the region.”

MH/PA