Pakistan's military voiced cautious optimism on Friday over diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, while warning that influential parties are attempting to undermine the mediation process.
Army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Islamabad had no objection to Iran joining the Mecca Agreement, noting that the matter would be determined by the parties involved. He added that any decision to deploy additional Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia would depend on developments and political considerations.
The statements followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who predicted an imminent shift in the situation involving Iran, expressing confidence that the war would end soon and that gasoline prices would subsequently fall.
Meanwhile, Israel's Maariv newspaper reported that Israeli security officials had detected indications of extensive US military preparations in the region ahead of the US midterm elections, raising concerns about a possible new military confrontation with Iran.
Separately, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy disclosed that he and several fellow senators had received a briefing on potential military strike plans targeting Iran, describing the proposals as "crazy."
