Pakistan is becoming increasingly wary of an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has set out on a mission to defuse tension between the Middle Eastern rivals.

Prime Minister of Pakistan and Iran hold talks in Tehran as part of initiative by Islamabad to defuse rising Gulf tensions.

Emphasising the visit to the two countries were Pakistan’s “initiative”, he said: “We recognise that it’s a complex issue … but we feel that this can be resolved through dialogue. But what should never happen, is war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”

Frictions between Tehran and Riyadh have spiked following a September 14 attack on Saudi oil facilities.

The United States and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the assault on the Abqaiq and Khurais facilities, a claim Tehran denied. Then, on Friday, an Iranian-flagged oil tanker was damaged by two separate explosions off the Saudi port of Jeddah, raising fears of a further escalation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Saudi Arabia as part of Islamabad’s efforts to defuse tensions between Tehran and Riyadh which peaked after an attack on a Saudi oil facility.

PM Imran reiterated on his visit to Iran that Pakistan was ready to act as a facilitator between Iran and Saudi Arabia, to sort out their differences through dialogue.

During his visit to the US last month, Khan said that President Donald Trump had asked him to “mediate” between its ally Saudi Arabia and Tehran. The US leader, however, refuted Khan’s claim.

Nonetheless, Islamabad is stepping up efforts to defuse tensions between the Gulf neighbors as it fears that a possible US-backed war with Iran would spill over into Pakistan, unleashing sectarian violence between the country’s majority Sunni and minority Shiite populations and devastating its already frail economy due to a potential oil crisis.

For years, ties between Iran and Pakistan have remained tense due to a deep mutual mistrust. Pakistan has generally tried to maintain close ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran — bitter regional foes — but has drifted away from Tehran in the past few years.

Both Pakistan and Iran accuse each other of backing separatist groups, which are active in Pakistan’s and Iran’s Baluchistan provinces and seek independence from both countries.

In March, President Rouhani demanded Pakistan act decisively against anti-Iranian terrorists, following a February attack that killed 27 members of the elite Revolutionary Guard in Sistan-Baluchistan. Iran claimed that a Pakistani suicide bomber was behind the attack, which was claimed by the Sunni jihadi group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which Tehran says operates mostly out of Pakistan.

Shiite-majority Iran is wary of Pakistan alleged support for various Sunni militant groups, which have been involved in launching attacks in Iran’s eastern areas, and massacring Shiite citizens inside Pakistan.

Iran is also angered by Pakistan’s role in the Saudi-led military alliance that is operating against Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Pakistan over-enthusiasm to please Riyadh could further exacerbate its relations with Tehran. Iran is aware of Islamabad’s cooperation with Riyadh. At the same time, it is aware of the concerns and limitations of its ties with Pakistan and wants to maintain “normal” relations with the neighboring country.

It remains to be seen whether Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan can convince Iranian authorities that his country would not undermine Tehran’s interests in the region. But experts say that since Pakistan is already part of the Saudi security alliance and has not done enough to allay Iran’s concerns about its alleged role in backing anti-Iran militants on its soil, Khan’s diplomatic efforts in Tehran are unlikely to yield results.

While Pakistan is mending ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it should also take stock of its own relations with Afghanistan, which recently went sour because of a dispute over a market in Peshawar.