The United States (US) expressed condemnation on Wednesday regarding recent Iranian airstrikes in Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria, urging peaceful resolution between Islamabad and Tehran. The statement followed Pakistan’s assertion that Iran had breached its airspace, attacking a border village and causing casualties, including two children and three injured women. The airstrike occurred late Tuesday, coinciding with similar attacks in Iraq and Syria.
The Iranian news agency Mehr News reported that the attack, involving missiles and drones, targeted the Pakistan headquarters of Jaish Al-Adl, designated a terrorist group by Iran since its formation in 2012. At a Washington press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller condemned the strikes, emphasizing the violation of sovereign borders and expressing the US’s commitment to peace and stability in the region.
In response to the attack, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and prevented Tehran’s envoy from returning to Islamabad. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign ministry, denounced the assault as “unprovoked” and a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. When questioned about potential retaliation by Pakistan, Miller emphasized the US’s hope for a peaceful resolution.
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Jaish Al-Adl, responsible for several attacks on Iranian soil, was the primary target of the Iranian strikes, according to Mehr News. Iran claimed that additional missile attacks targeted “spy headquarters” and “terrorist” locations in Syria and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
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The airstrikes occurred amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East, marked by the ongoing Israeli-Gaza conflict since October 7 and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. Miller criticized Iran’s actions, stating, “I think it is a little rich for, on one hand, Iran to be the leading funder of terrorism in the region, the leading funder of instability in the region, and on the other hand, claim that it needs to take these actions to counter terrorism.” The US remains hopeful for a peaceful resolution to the escalating situation between Iran and its neighbors.