Pakistan has finally broken its silence following the deadly strikes made by Iran on Tuesday. In an act of retaliation, Pakistan launched missiles into Iran. According to Iranian media, nine people were killed, including three women, two men, and four children, due to these strikes. According to Pakistan’s statement, these strikes were meant to destroy the “terrorist hideouts” in Sistan, in the Baluchistan province of Iran.
The exchange of strikes between the two countries started in between the Middle East crises involving Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, etc.
According to some analysts, the reason for the Iranian strikes on different countries, including Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria, could be this ongoing crisis in the Middle East. On one hand, Iran wants to stay out of the Israeli Gaza conflict, but at the same time, Hezbollah and Hamas are continuously fighting Israelis, and these groups are known to be backed by Iran.
In a statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Pakistan said it respects the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Iran. The strikes by the Pakistani government were meant to target terrorist activities in the city of Saravan, Iran.
The Pakistani army used rockets, drones, and long-range missiles to target the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in the region of Sistan, Balochistan, in Iran. These groups are fighting for a government in Balochistan.
These strikes by Pakistan took place after the fierce attack by Iran in the Balochistan province of Pakistan that killed two children. These strikes, according to Iran, were only to target Jaish al-Adl, a group involved in carrying out strikes in Iran.
The Pakistani Ambassador has been summoned by Iran to discuss the details of these strikes. Pakistan has already called its ambassador back to the country and has stopped him from returning. Other countries, like China, Afghanistan, and Turkey, have called for a dialogue between Pakistan and Iran.
Pakistan is not the only country to have been targeted by Iran. Iran has already attacked Iraq and Syria earlier. Due to the friendly relations between Iran and Pakistan, both countries are focusing and emphasizing proving their attacks on each other’s borders to be on militants and on those who are disturbing the peace of these countries.
Pakistan and Iran have both given their statements that the strikes were not to target the innocent citizens of these countries who have lost their lives, unfortunately. According to a South Asian director working at the Wilson Centre, Michael Kugelman, “In effect, the two sides are even now. Islamabad had a strong incentive to try to restore deterrence, especially with Iran on the offensive around the wider region deploying direct strikes and proxies to hit out at threats and rivals. In effect, it would have faced the risk of additional strikes.”
