IRIA News

The Pakistan Air Force conducted retaliatory airstrikes on militant targets inside Iran on January 18 morning following the Iranian missile strike on its territory, which has raised tensions between the two neighbors.

The Pakistani strikes in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan came less than 48 hours after Iran violated its airspace. Pakistan codenamed the operation ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ (death to the guerrilla fighters).

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described their attack as “a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts” in the Siestan-Baluchistan province of Iran.

“This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats.”

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Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar

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Following the Iranian attack, Pakistan had said Iran’s attack was a violation of international law, calling it “completely unacceptable.” In the Foreign Office statement, Pakistan warned of “serious consequences” of the Iranian attack. “Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” the statement read.

Iranian strike on Pakistani territory

Iranian officials and state-owned media said that Iran used “precision missile and drone strikes” to destroy two “important headquarters” of the militant group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on January 16, 2024.

According to Pakistani officials, at least two children were killed in Iranian attacks and three others were reported injured. Iranian strikes damaged a mosque in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, about 30 miles inside Pakistan from the Iranian border. Islamabad said the air strike was an “illegal act” and warned it could lead to “serious consequences”.

Tehran has linked Jaish Al-Adl with attacks last month close to the border, which killed more than a dozen Iranian police officers. Following the attacks in Iran last month, the country’s interior minister Ahmad Vahidi said the militants who orchestrated the attacks had entered Iran from Pakistan.

Iranian strikes in Syria and Iraq

Iran also conducted airstrikes late Monday in Iraq and Syria over an Islamic State-claimed suicide bombing that killed over 90 people earlier this month. The Iranian attacks raised the threat of sparking violence and chaos in the Middle East amidst Israel’s war with Hamas and the bombing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this week, Iran unleashed ballistic missiles on targets in the northern city of Irbil in Iraq, drawing swift condemnation from the United States. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards asserted that they targeted an alleged Israeli “spy headquarters” in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. Tragically, the strike resulted in the loss of four civilian lives and left six others injured, according to local authorities. Iraq has recalled its ambassador from Iran for consultations.

Following this, Iran extended its military actions to Syria’s north-western Idlib province, the last remaining opposition stronghold in the war-torn country, beyond the control of the Syrian government. This region, hosting 2.9 million displaced individuals, is already enduring severe hardships.

Iran’s most recent airstrike in Pakistan also adds to the escalating tensions in the Middle East. The region has been witnessing over 100 days of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. Additionally, recent air strikes by the U.S. and UK have targeted Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi militants have been launching attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The situation reflects a broader landscape of geopolitical unrest in the area.

Diplomatic blowback

The diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Iran are characterized by a delicate yet cordial relationship. Interestingly, this recent attack occurred on the very day when the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Foreign Minister of Iran held discussions on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos,.

“None of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “The so-called Jaish Al-Adl group, which is an Iranian terrorist group, was targeted,” he added.

Concurrently, the naval forces of both nations engaged in joint military exercises in the Gulf, underscoring the complexity of their multifaceted relationship despite the unfortunate incident.

Pakistan reiterated that “terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action.”

“Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighborly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence,” it added.

Pakistan recalls ambassador from Iran

To record protest against Iranian strikes inside Pakistani territories, Islamabad announced that it was recalling its ambassador in Tehran. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, who is currently in Tehran, would not be allowed back into Pakistan, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said.

“This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever. Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” the ministry said.

U.S. and China reactions

The United States issued a statement condemning the Iranian strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing that Iran is the “leading funder of terrorism” as well as the “leading funder of instability in the region”.

Miller highlighted that the U.S. hopes that the issue “can be peacefully resolved” and wants all regional countries to maintain peace and stability.

Pakistan and Iran’s close ally China urged both countries to “avoid escalation and respect” national sovereignty after the airstrikes. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning noted that both Pakistan and Iran are close neighbors and “major Islamic countries” and highlighted that both sides need to jointly keep the region peaceful and stable.

Mao Ning also called Islamabad and Tehran to “exercise restraint, avoid actions that escalate the tension” and noted that “China believes that the relations between countries should be handled based on the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.”