On Thursday, Russia’s foreign ministry urged Iran and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic means to avoid contributing to regional instability.
This statement came in response to Pakistan’s announcement that it had utilized killer drones and rockets to target hideouts of terrorist organizations inside Iran, following Tehran’s claim of an attack on bases within Pakistani territory two days earlier.
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed regret over the escalating situation between the two friendly Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region. She highlighted that any anti-terrorist operation on a sovereign territory should be conducted in agreement and coordination with the authorities of the affected country.
In a separate development on the same day, the Pakistan Foreign Office stated that Pakistan had executed highly coordinated and specifically targeted military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province.
The statement outlined Pakistan’s longstanding concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries utilized by Pakistani-origin terrorists within Iran’s ungoverned spaces, known as Sarmachars. Pakistan claimed to have shared multiple dossiers containing concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists during engagements with Iran over the past several years.
