China has demanded that Iran and Pakistan show “restraint” following an airstrike by Tehran on its territory that left two toddlers dead and three girls injured.
Foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a routine briefing on Wednesday, “We call on both sides to exercise restraint, avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension and work together to maintain peace and stability.”
“We consider both Iran and Pakistan as close neighbours and major Islamic countries,” she continued.
Pakistan has vehemently denounced Iran’s unwarranted infraction of its airspace, cautioning that such an act of subversion of Pakistani sovereignty is wholly unacceptable and may result in dire repercussions.
The fact that this illegal deed occurred in spite of Pakistan and Iran having many communication lines makes it even more worrisome. Pakistan’s Foreign Office also stated, “Pakistan has already voiced its strong protest to the relevant senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.
Iran and Pakistan are both members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and strong allies of Beijing.
Iran did not immediately provide an official response, but the state-run news outlet Nour reported that the attack destroyed the Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) militant group’s headquarters.
The act of Iran violating Pakistani sovereignty, according to acting Balochstan Information Minister Jan Achakzai, “damages relations” between Tehran and Islamabad.
“The enemy is attempting external intervention in Pakistan, with a focus on Balochistan. “The adversaries’ schemes will never be successful,” the minister continued.
Jaish al-Adl was founded in 2012 and has carried out multiple operations on Iranian territory in the past few years. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by Iran.
Following missile assaults by Iran on “terrorist” and “spy headquarters” in Syria and the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, the strike occurred.
With Israel fighting Hamas in Gaza and pro-Palestinian Houthi rebels in Yemen attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Iranian strikes exacerbate already dire circumstances throughout the Middle East.
