Iran FM: Strikes in Pakistan Targeted Terrorists, Not Citizens

Davos, Switzerland – Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian justified Iran’s cross-border airstrikes in Pakistan a day earlier as part of its fight against terrorism.

Amirabdollahian confirmed that the strikes targeted positions of the Jaish al-Adl militant group in Pakistan’s Baluchistan region near the Iranian border. “We targeted Jaish al-Adl, not Pakistani citizens,” he said.

The foreign minister stressed that Iran has “no tolerance for terrorists operating within the territories of Iraq and Pakistan, posing a threat to Iran’s security.” However, he added that Iran respects the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.”

Just a day before the airstrikes, Iran had launched missile strikes against what it called Israeli espionage centers in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and positions of the Islamic State group in Syria.

Amirabdollahian said Iran considers the security of Iraq and Pakistan integral to its own security. Tensions have risen after 11 Iranian policemen were killed in an attack in southeast Iran near the Pakistani border. Iran has warned Pakistan to act against Jaish al-Adl militants operating from its soil.

At the Davos forum, the foreign minister also cautioned about the spiraling conflicts in the region, from Lebanon to Yemen. He warned Israel that continuing its military campaign in Gaza will not help resolve problems but only fuel more conflict.