Pakistan hits Iran but “respects its sovereignty”
18 January 2024 16:05
On the morning of 18 January, Pakistan launched a missile strike into Iran to target a cluster of terrorists of Pakistani origin who had taken refuge in the country.
This morning, Pakistan carried out a series of highly coordinated and targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-o-Baluchestan province. A number of terrorists were killed in the intelligence operation, codenamed Marg Bar Sarmachar,
– pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
Pakistan’s attack took place a day after Iran attacked the base of the Sunni organisation Jaish al-Adl with missiles and drones on 16 January, which Iran, in turn, also considers terrorists. Pakistan then claimed two children were killed and threatened Iran with “serious consequences”.
However, Pakistan did not use aggressive rhetoric in its statement, limiting itself to assurances that Pakistan was defending its own country in this way, as terrorists pose a threat to its security. No harsh language was voiced in relation to Iran. On the contrary, Pakistan was even quick to say that it respects Iran’s sovereignty.
“Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sole purpose of today’s action was to ensure Pakistan’s own security and national interests, which are paramount and cannot be compromised… Iran is a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the Iranian people. We have always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges, including the threat of terrorism, and will continue to make efforts to find common solutions,”
– the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Yesterday, on 17 January, after the Iranian attack, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and said it reserved the right to retaliate.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Qanaani sharply criticised the attack on Iran. The spokesman said that Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in Tehran was being summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry to officially lodge a protest and demand explanations from the Pakistani government.
