The Pakistani government announced Saturday that the prime minister is working to "create a conducive environment" for peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, as the conflict reaches the one-month mark. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif discussed ongoing hostilities in the region and Pakistan’s outreach efforts with the U.S. and neighboring Gulf states in a phone call. The prime minister’s office stated that they hope to find a viable path towards ending hostilities collectively.

Pezeshkian praised Sharif’s diplomatic effort to facilitate talks and mediation, but noted that trust was needed to move forward. According to an account from the Iranian government, Pezeshkian stated that attacks on infrastructure and assassinations by aggressors show they cannot be trusted. The Iranian government declared that its country’s "defensive operation is natural" and expressed that Tehran "views Muslim countries as brothers and seeks no harm to any Muslim."

The phone call comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, with Iran vowing to retaliate against U.S. and Israeli interests following strikes on two nuclear facilities and other Iranian targets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that his country would “exact HEAVY price” for the Israeli attacks, which he claimed violated a 10-day pause issued by President Trump. Araghchi wrote on X that Israel has hit 2 of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the U.S.

That same day, 10 U.S. servicemembers were injured in a reported Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The missile damaged several U.S. refueling craft and unmanned aerial vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.

Fears of wider conflict intensified on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for an early morning missile attack on Israel, which the Israeli government said was intercepted without casualties, according to the Associated Press. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio touted progress this week in negotiations with Tehran to end the war that began on Feb. 28 following failed talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Iran has denied its involvement in talks with the Trump administration, and publicly rejected a 15-point ceasefire proposal from the U.S. sent via Pakistani mediators. The country has instead issued its own set of demands, which include control over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to U.S.-Israeli “aggression” and reparations, among others.