Pakistan: Islamabad has revealed in a statement that Pakistan and Iran have agreed to de-escalate the dispute that resulted from a series of military actions in the border region of Baluchistan.
The exchange of missiles and drone attacks this week has raised tensions about further instability in the region.
The foreign ministry of Islamabad issued a joint statement in which they emphasized their resolve to “de-escalate the situation” and improve cooperation on counterterrorism and other shared interests.
“The Foreign Minister stressed that respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty must underpin this cooperation,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, the tit-for-tat attacks have been the biggest cross-border incursions in recent history, which has caused concern about the possibility of more instability.
Iran started the situation by attacking targets in Pakistan that it considered to be “terrorist” with missiles and drones on Tuesday night. In response, Pakistan conducted precision strikes on militant targets inside Iran on Thursday.
The infrequent military maneuvers intensified hostilities, leading Pakistan to withdraw its envoy from Tehran and obstruct Iran’s envoy’s return to Islamabad.
The two nations were asked to “exercise maximum restraint to avoid a further escalation of tensions” by UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres.
In line with the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and good neighborly relations, Guterres “underlines that all security concerns between the two countries must be addressed by peaceful means through dialogue and cooperation,” according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.