Pakistan-Iran attack Highlights: Tehran says committed to good neighbourly relations

Iran has now said it is committed to “good neighbourly relations” with Pakistan, but called on the neighbouring state to prevent the establishment of "terrorist bases" on its soil, Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement published on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Russia's foreign ministry has called on Iran and Pakistan to show maximum restraint and solve their differences through diplomacy or risk playing into the hands of those who would like to see the region descend into chaos.

"It is regrettable that this is happening between friendly SCO countries, with which we are developing partnership relations. Further aggravation of the situation plays into the hands of those who are not interested in peace, stability and security in the region," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, according to Reuters.

Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has condemned Pakistan and Iran's attacks "in the name of security and sovereignty" and emphasised that these missiles are indiscriminately deployed against the Baloch.

She wrote on X: “Under the pretext of safeguarding their security and sovereignty, missiles are indiscriminately deployed against Baloch, which has put the safety of Baloch at grave risk on both sides of the border.”

The Pakistani army has shared operational details of the airstrikes against hideouts inside Iran used by “terrorists” of two leading “Baloch terrorist groups”.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that it carried out precision air strikes in Iran using killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons. More details about the strikes here.

The Turkish foreign ministry has called on Iran, Iraq and Pakistan to show restraint and common sense after an escalation of tensions in the region, most recently with Pakistan conducting strikes inside Iran.

"We believe the problems should be resolved with an understanding of friendship and brotherhood, based on mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries," the ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday said that the retaliatory military strikes in Iran's Siestan-o-Baluchistan killing “number of terrorists” were carried out in pursuit of Pakistan's “own security and national interest”. According to Baloch, the “successful execution” is a “testimony to the professionalism of the Armed Forces of the country”. Read on.

Iran says that three women and four children were killed in the retaliatory strikes by Pakistan.

"Two men were also killed in the missile attack this morning in one of the border villages of Saravan, bringing the death toll to nine," the official IRNA news agency quoted Alireza Marhamati, deputy provincial governor of Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province.

A top security official of Pakistan said its armed forces are on “extremely high alert” and added that any more “misadventures” from Iran will be met forcefully.

Iran's state media reported that the death toll after the attack by Pakistan has increased to nine.

Following the Tuesday attack by Iran on Pakistan's Balochistan province, the Union ministry of external affairs said it was “a matter between Iran and Pakistan” and added that India has an “uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism”. “We understand actions that countries take in their self defence,” the statement, shared by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said.

A large-scale military exercise will be launched at IRGC Khatam al-Anbiya air defence base in southwest Iran near Pakistan. According to a top military official, dozens of manned and unmanned aircraft will participate in the exercise.

Iranian foreign ministry has summoned Pakistan's diplomat to the country and asked them to “offer explanations” over the attack. “Following the early morning attack by Pakistan on a border village in Sistan-Baluchestan province, an hour ago the Pakistani charge d’affaires in Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for an explanation,” the state media reported.

Quoting an unnamed source, Iran's state media said Tehran has “strongly condemned” the recent attack by Pakistan on Siestan-o-Baluchistan and called on Pakistan to give an “immediate explanation” over the issue.

Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakkar will cut short his visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum and is likely to return to his country later today, the foreign ministry said.

In the official notification following the airstrike on Iran's Siestan-o-Baluchistan province, Pakistan claimed that it had targeted the ‘Sarmachars’ – a Pakistan-origin terrorist group based in the concerned region, in an operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’.

The statement pointed out that the Pakistani government had raised its concerns over the ‘Sarmachars’ during several engagements with Iran; however, there was a “lack of action” on the issue.

“Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists,” the statement reads, adding, “However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars."

"Iran is a powerful military country, and so is Pakistan. Any conflicts starting at this stage would be most unfortunate if that were to happen," Air Marshal (retd.) and defence expert Anil Chopra, said after Pakistan launched an airstrike on Iran.

The Iranian state media reported that the recent retaliatory attack by Pakistan killed three women and four children in the country's southeast border. "Three women and four children were killed in this incident. All non-Iranian nationals,” the local media reported, quoting the deputy provincial governor of Siestan-o-Baluchistan.