Pakistan, July 4 -- Pakistan said on Thursday it had intensified diplomatic efforts to help prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East after attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, warning that any further escalation could threaten regional stability.

The statement by Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations (UN) came at a Security Council meeting that was summoned on Bahrain's request days after Iranian missile and drone attacks that targeted United States (US) military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran and the US agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway....