Iran-Pakistan strikes: US criticises Tehran; China, Russia call for maximum restraint

At least 11 people were killed as Iran and Pakistan launched missiles and drones targeting specific militant groups in each others’ territories. Two bases of Baluchi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan were targeted by missiles on Tuesday, and in retaliation Pakistan’s army on Thursday carried out precision strikes in Iran using killer drones and rockets that struck “terrorist” groups Balochistan Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front.

Islamabad denounced the attack as a “blatant violation” of its airspace, and lodged a strong protest with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran. It also recalled its ambassador to Iran and suspended all planned high-level bilateral visits.

The United States on Wednesday condemned the Iranian strikes in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria. Addressing reporters, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Iran has violated the sovereignty of multiple countries in the region in just the past couple of days.

China Thursday offered to play a “constructive role” to ease tension between Pakistan and Iran following their missile strikes against each other over the last two days and asked the two countries to “exercise restraint and calmness and avoid escalation”.

After Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes against Iran, Russia’s foreign ministry called on the two nations to show maximum restraint and solve their differences through diplomacy or risk playing into the hands of those who would like to see the region descend into chaos.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a statement noted that the two countries are part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a grouping that Russia helped found. “It is regrettable that this is happening between friendly SCO countries, with which we are developing partnership relations. Further aggravation of the situation plays into the hands of those who are not interested in peace, stability and security in the region,” said Zakharova as reported by Reuters.

Reacting to the Iranian airstrikes on Pakistan, India, meanwhile, has said that even as this is a matter between Iran and Pakistan, the Indian side understands “actions that countries take in their self defence.”

“This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self defence,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Turkey’s foreign ministry on Thursday called for Iran, Iraq and Pakistan to show restraint and common sense after an escalation of tensions in the region. “We believe the problems should be resolved with an understanding of friendship and brotherhood, based on mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after holding calls with both sides, said Iran and Pakistan do not want to escalate tensions in the region.

Further, the Taliban foreign ministry added that both sides should resolve disputes through diplomacy and dialogue.

Pakistan conducted “precision military strikes” against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Siestan-Balochistan province that killed nine people, a day after Islamabad recalled its envoy from Tehran and suspended all planned high-level bilateral visits following Iranian missile attacks in Balochistan. Quoting Deputy governor of the province Alireza Marhamati, the channel said nine non-Iranian nationals, including two men, three women and four children, were killed in the attack.

“This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday morning.

The tit-for-tat attacks within two days have raised tensions in the volatile region, already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the targeting of the merchant ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis.

With inputs from agencies

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