Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday condemned an Iranian airstrike that reportedly led to the deaths of two children and injuries to three others. The attack has been labeled as an “unprovoked violation” of Pakistan’s airspace. According to Pakistan’s official statement, Iran’s act was “illegal”, indicating a violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty. The ministry expressed its concerns over these unilateral actions, in spite of good bilateral communication channels.
Simultaneously, Pakistan’s foreign ministry underscored that the country fully supports cooperative action against terrorism. However, unilateral acts are not aligned with good neighborly relations and could seriously undermine mutual trust and confidence.
The Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency claimed that bases of the Jaish-al-Adl militant group in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan were “specifically targeted and successfully demolished by a combination of missile and drone attacks.” The agency reported that the strike was a response to an incident in December where the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group stormed a police station in Iran’s Sistan and Balouchestan province, resulting in the death of 11 Iranian Police forces.
Following the Iran elite Revolutionary Guards’ attacks on Iraq and Syria targets, the attack on Pakistan’s territory occurred. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also launched ballistic missiles against targets in Iraq’s northern city of Erbil. The IRGC, tasked with defending Iran’s government, carried out these attacks in response to the Israeli assassination of several IRGC commanders.
Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, has communicated to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Ambassador of France about Iran’s intentions behind missile strikes against terrorists and their bases. He claimed that these attacks adhere to the charters of the United Nations and International Law, thus fulfilling Iran’s international obligations.
Amir Saeid Iravani emphasized that Iran, being one of the main victims of terrorism, undertook anti-terrorist operations in the exercise of its inherent right to self-defense under international law. The operations were deemed necessary, proportionate, and precisely targeted bases of terrorist groups while respecting Iran’s international obligations, majorly international humanitarian law. Iran reaffirms its inherent rights, recognized by international law, to safeguard its sovereignty, national security, and its citizens from any threats or attacks.
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