File photo
Following Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes against militant hideouts in Iran, several global leaders have called for calm, urging the neighbors to resolve their issues peacefully and without any further recourse to conflict.
In a statement to media, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson said he was very concerned about the current tensions and called for de-escalation. “He is very concerned about this escalation, about the exchange of fire, rockets, between Iran and Pakistan. We have seen reports of casualties on both sides,” said spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, adding the U.N. chief had urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint.
“Any security issues, any issues, concerns, between Iran and Pakistan must be addressed through peaceful means, through dialogue, through cooperation, and again, in accordance with the principles of sovereignty, national integrity and good neighborly relations,” he added.
Similarly, E.U. spokesman Peter Stano also expressed concern, describing the exchange of airstrikes as an “utmost” concern of the European bloc. “[T]hey violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, and they have also a destabilizing effect on the region,” he added.
U.S President Joe Biden, meanwhile, told media the incident indicated Iran’s regional isolation, adding he did not know how the situation would proceed. “We don’t want to see an escalation clearly in South and Central Asia. And we’re in touch with our Pakistani counterparts,” White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby separately added, noting Biden was closely monitoring the situation.
In calls for calm and restraint, China said it was willing to play a “constructive role in cooling down the situation” as a state with close ties to both Iran and Pakistan.
Turkiye, too, appealed for peace and sanity. “Iran and Pakistan do not want to escalate tensions in the region,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after communicating with officials of both sides. He said Turkiye recommended both sides de-escalate the situation and restore calm on their shared border as soon as possible.
The interim Afghanistan government, meanwhile, said its two neighboring states should resolve their disputes “through diplomacy and dialogue.” In a statement, the Foreign Ministry described the recent conflict as “alarming” and urged both states to exercise restraint.
Russia, which also has close ties to both Pakistan and Iran, similarly urged maximum restraint, stressing on finding solutions to differences through diplomacy. It further warned that any further escalation risked benefiting powers who wished to see the region descend into chaos. A spokesperson said any anti-terrorist operation on another country’s sovereign territory must only be conducted in agreement and coordination with the authorities of that country.
Pakistan’s arch-rival India, which has been moving closer to Iran, offered a neutral response, saying this was a bilateral matter. “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,” said a spokesperson.
Positive talks
Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch indicated the neighboring states were advancing toward peace, as she shared an exchange of positive messages between Additional Foreign Secretary Rahim Hayat Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Rasoul Mousavi on X, formerly Twitter.
In an earlier post, Qureshi noted Pakistan and Iran had fraternal relations and the countries must move forward to resolve all issues through positive dialogue. “Our common challenges including terrorism require coordinated action,” he added.
In his statement, Mousavi said he believed Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry would resolve the prevailing tensions between both countries. “Leaders and high officials of both countries know that only terrorists and enemies of both countries benefit from the existing tension between the two neighboring countries,” he said.
Pakistan’s future course of action is likely to be devised today (Friday), as interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is to chair separate meetings of the federal cabinet and the National Security Committee to discuss the prevailing situation.