Pakistan Strikes Back at Iran in Cross-Border Airstrike, Raising Tensions

On Thursday, the Pakistan Air Force conducted an airstrike on purported Baloch separatist camps situated within Iranian territory. Numerous reports suggest awareness of this development. The targeted locations are believed to have housed hideouts of Baloch militants wanted by Pakistan. This move comes in the wake of Iranian airstrikes in Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to assert its "right to respond" to what it deemed a "provocative act."

Tensions between the neighboring nations escalated as Iran claimed to have successfully targeted militant elements operating from Pakistani soil. Pakistan contested these assertions, stating that the Iranian action resulted in civilian casualties rather than hitting the intended militant targets. In a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani emphasized that the attack was not only a serious breach of Pakistan's sovereignty but also a flagrant violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between the two countries, according to a statement from the spokesperson.

As a response, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and prevented Tehran's envoy from returning to Islamabad after the Iranian airstrike. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian insisted that his country's armed forces had targeted the "Iranian terrorist group" Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan. He clarified during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that none of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.

In response to media queries regarding the Iranian airstrikes, India maintained its complete zero tolerance for terrorism and acknowledged the actions that countries take in self-defense. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated, "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-defense."