Pakistan says it has 'no interest' in escalating situation with Iran

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan on Thursday said that Islamabad has "no interest in escalating any situation” with Tehran after the country’s military carried out strikes against "terrorist hideouts" inside Iran.

“Pakistan considers people of Iran as our friends and brothers and we have no interest in escalating any situation,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a news conference in Islamabad.

Baloch emphasized that Pakistan believes in dialogue and cooperation, saying: “We also believe that dialogue and cooperation is essential for confronting common challenges, including the menace of terrorism and we would like to continue to engage with all neighbors including Iran.”

To a question about any immediate mediation between the two countries from China, Baloch said: "Pakistan and Iran do have several channels of communication. And at this point, I am not aware of any third parties stepping forward in this context.”

Earlier, Pakistan said it undertook a series of "highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes" against “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, killing a number of terrorists.

The move came after Iran on Tuesday launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad.

Pakistan also recalled its ambassador and suspended high-level visits with Tehran.