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Iran says coastal attack will lead to full Gulf closure and mine-laying

An attack on Iran's southern coast and islands will lead to Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea mines, the country's Defence Council said on Monday, according to state media. The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, according to Axios. "Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf (...) to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast," the statement read. "In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time (...) One should not forget the failure of more than 100 minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines." The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran...
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PM to leave for Saudi Arabia today for special WEF meeting

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia today, to attend a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting on global collaboration, growth, and energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed. HRH Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Professor Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum extended the invitation to Shehbaz. The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including, Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The diplomatic talks will center around trade and investment measures, new investment frameworks, restructuring of supply chains, sustainable growth, and the energy landscape. The forum will highlight Pakistan’s crucial priorities in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalizing regional collaboration, and the need to balance promoting growth and energy consumption. The prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders and officials participating in the event. This visit marks Shehbaz’s second to Saudi Arabia as PM this month. Read Saudis may invest $1b in Reko Diq Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing and the Saudi media reported. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation for an Iftar gathering at his Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, according to a report in the Saudi media. The Prime Minister’s Office said in its handout that after the Iftar meal, the prime minister and the Saudi crown prince sat for a one-on-one meeting. It added that Prime Minister Shahbaz conveyed his best wishes for the health and well-being of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The prime minister expressed gratitude for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation. Both leaders appreciated the upward trajectory of longstanding fraternal relations and reaffirmed their common resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties, it added. A week later, a high-level Saudi delegation, led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, arrived in Pakistan as part of efforts by Pakistan to attract investment from Riyadh. “The visit is aimed at lending positive impetus to enhanced bilateral cooperation and mutually rewarding economic partnership,” said readout of the Foreign Office. It further read that the visit took place essentially to expedite the follow-up on the understanding reached between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, during their recent meeting in Makkah to enhance bilateral economic cooperation.

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