Conflicts
Pakistani missile attack on Iran
Members of the Muslim student association Talba Mahaz Pakistan during a demonstration in Islamabad to condemn the Iranian attack. photo
© Anjum Naveed/AP/dpa
Pakistan has fired back after an Iranian missile attack. Concerns about an escalation are growing in surrounding countries.
Apparently out of retaliation Pakistan fired missiles at neighboring Iran. The attack on the province of Sistan and Balochistan was targeted by extremists, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said. China and Türkiye immediately warned not to further aggravate the situation.
According to the Iranian news agency Irna, ten people were killed. Foreign Ministry spokesman in Tehran, Nasser Kanaani, condemned the attack. As the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, the Pakistani charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
Evidence of terrorist threats
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, fears of a wildfire in the region have been growing. Tensions between Iran and other neighboring countries are also increasing.
On Tuesday, Iran attacked targets of the extremist group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan. According to Pakistani information, two children were killed. The nuclear power Pakistan sharply criticized the attacks and withdrew its ambassador from Tehran. During the night, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) also attacked targets in Iraq and Syria with ballistic missiles.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry justified the attack by citing terrorist threats in the region. Nevertheless, Pakistan respects Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Iran is a brotherly nation and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the people of Iran.”
China calls on both sides to exercise calm and restraint
A spokeswoman for the Beijing Foreign Ministry said: “If there is a need on both sides, we are also ready to play a constructive role in easing the situation.” Turkey also called for moderation. You are ready to mediate.
The mutual attacks followed recent positive developments in relations. Just on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian and Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The neighboring countries were just holding a joint naval exercise.
Iran’s air defense capabilities are in question after the incident, said Hamidreza Azizi, visiting researcher at the Science and Politics Foundation in Berlin on the online platform X (formerly Twitter). “Considering potential long-term implications for Iran’s deterrence and security, the attack on Pakistan was likely one of the greatest strategic mistakes in the history of the Islamic Republic.”
However, Irfan Shehzad, head of the Eurasian Centruy Institute in Islamabad, believes that further escalation between Pakistan and Iran is unlikely. “I think that diplomatic relations will remain at a lower level for the time being, but it looks like there will be no escalation,” Shehzad told the German Press Agency.