Iranian FM Due In Pakistan For Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is due in Islamabad on April 8 for talks expected to include Saudi Arabia's request for Pakistan to send military aid and troops to Yemen.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on April 7 that Iran should be involved in talks to end the conflict in Yemen.

His comments came as Pakistan's parliament debated whether the country should get involved in the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been conducting air strikes and delivering weapons to Yemeni government forces who support President Abd-Rabbu Mansur Hadi in their battle against Shi'ite Huthis and rebel government troops.

Zarif has repeatedly stated that the Yemen conflict be settled through negotiations.

But several Arab countries have accused Iran of using the Yemeni conflict to expand its influence in the region by allying itself with the Huthis, a charge it denies.

Zarif is to stop in Oman ahead of his visit to Pakistan.

Based on reporting by Reuters and the Tehran Times