UPDATE - Iran vows ‘measured and calculated’ response to Israeli attack

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY PAKISTANI PREMIER'S OFFICE; CHANGES DECK

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Iran on Tuesday warned that it will “certainly” respond to Israel’s latest attack in a “well-measured” and “well-calculated” manner.

“Iran will certainly respond to the Oct. 26 Israeli attack on appropriate time and manner, and in a well-measured and well-calculated way,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said during a joint press briefing with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.

Araghchi, who arrived in the Pakistani capital on a two-day visit Monday night, emphasized that Iran reserves its “inherent” right to “legitimately” respond to Israeli strikes in line with the UN charter.

Late last month, the Israeli military launched strikes on military bases in Iran, targeting about 20 sites over several hours across Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran. Tel Aviv said the strikes were in response to attacks from “Iran and its proxies.”

Araghchi accused the “Zionist regime” of spreading terrorism from Gaza to Lebanon, adding that the international community has failed to halt Israel’s “genocide” of Palestinians.

Sharing a similar stance, Dar, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, reiterated the two countries’ call for establishing an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Calling the Israeli strikes a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law, Dar affirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the Iranian people.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. More than 43,000 people have been killed, most of them women and children, and over 102,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

As the conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, more than 3,000 people have been killed and nearly 13,500 others injured in Israeli attacks since last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

- Joint strategy

Araghchi said Iran and Pakistan are working on a joint strategy to present at the upcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Tehran, aiming to address the ongoing Israeli aggression.

The two sides also agreed to collaborate in countering terrorism, which Araghchi described as a “common threat” to both nations. He praised Islamabad’s “consistent” support for Gaza and the Palestinian cause.

Araghchi also met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the latter's office to discuss a series of bilateral and regional issues, including the "worrying" situation in the Middle East, said an official statement.

While reaffirming Pakistan’s unequivocal support to the Palestinian people, Sharif called for an "immediate" cease-fire in Gaza, provision of unhindered humanitarian assistance and, above all, grant of the inalienable right to self-determination to the Palestinian people, as guaranteed to them by the relevant resolutions of the UN, as well as OIC.

Earlier, Dar received Araghchi and his delegation at the Foreign Ministry, where both ministers underscored the importance of strengthening ties through increased trade, energy cooperation, and enhanced border management, according to a statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

They expressed commitment to exploring avenues for enhanced trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts. Both officials also discussed the Middle East situation, “strongly” condemning the Israeli aggression against Palestinians and affirming their support for the Palestinian right to self-determination.