Islamabad (dpa) – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Iran and Saudi Arabia in the coming days in an effort to mitigate tensions between those rival Middle Eastern powers, a Pakistani official said on Saturday.

Khan will travel to Iran on Sunday and then to Saudi Arabia to meet with those countries' leaderships, said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry official. It was unclear exactly what day the Saudi Arabia trip would occur.

The visit takes place weeks after Khan said that US President Donald Trump had asked him to play a role in defusing tensions between the two Muslim countries in the wake of September 14 attack on Saudi oil facilities.

Saudi Arabia and the US have blamed Iran for the attack at two facilities operated by Saudi state oil giant Aramco. Irani-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility. Iran has denied involvement in the attack.

"Saudi Arabia is our strategic partner, whereas Iran is a friend and neighbour. We are seeking that misunderstandings between the two Muslim countries will be cleared through talks," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said earlier this week.

Qureshi emphasized that the region could not afford a war.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry clarified that the initiative for dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran was an "effort by the prime minister of Pakistan for ensuring peace in the region."

Media reports have previously said that Saudi authorities had asked Khan to deliver a message for peace talks.