Saudi Arabia says making efforts to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan

Rubio also spoke on Saturday to external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who maintained that India’s stance has been “measured and responsible”. Rubio also dialled Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar and said the two countries should re-establish direct communication to “avoid miscalculation”.

A day after Saudi Arabia’s deputy foreign minister visited Pakistan after an unannounced visit to India, Saudi foreign minister Faisal Bin Farhan spoke on telephone to Dar to discuss ways to reduce tensions.

The flurry of diplomatic contacts came on a day when the armed confrontation between the two neighbouring countries reached new heights, with India targeting eight military sites in Pakistan as a response to Pakistani attacks on 26 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Gujarat.