After tit-for-tat strikes, Iran, Pakistan ministers dial down tensions

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, January 19

A day after Pakistan retaliated against Iranian missile and drone attacks at Jaish al-Adl (formerly Jundallah), their Foreign Ministers spoke for the second time on Friday during which both stated their disinterest towards increasing tensions.

Pak Cabinet ‘decides’ to end standoff

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Islamabad: Pakistan’s Cabinet has decided to end the standoff with Iran, broadcaster Geo TV reported on Friday citing sources. The Cabinet headed by Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister also endorsed a move to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Iran, the report stated. Reuters

The two Foreign Offices also issued statements that addressed each other in “brotherly” terms and asked the other side not to allow safe havens to terrorists.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Jalil Jilani expressed Pakistan’s readiness to work with Iran on all issues and underscored the need for closer cooperation on security issues, according to Pakistani media reports.

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan is of great concern to us and the cooperation of the two countries to neutralise and destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan is essential,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reportedly told Jilani.

The Iranian media also sought to dial down tensions by calling the missile strikes as a “tiff”.

The Iranian Foreign Office said it expected “the friendly and brotherly government of Pakistan to adhere to its commitments in preventing the establishment of bases and armed terrorist groups on Pakistan’s soil.”

This was in marked contrast to Tehran’s reaction to Arab League’s condemnation of its missile and drone attacks on Iraq. “Iran will not hesitate to take deterrent measures against the sources of threat to its national security, defend the security of its citizens and punish criminals,” it told the Arab League and advised it to try and stop the conflict in Gaza.

Nine people, including four children, were killed after Pakistan on Thursday morning attacked a village in Iran’s Sistan e-Baluchestan province in retaliation to Iranian ballistic missiles targeting Jaish al-Adl terror camps. This was in response to Iran firing ballistic missiles and using drones on targets in Balochistan province on Tuesday.