Iran urges restraint amid India-Pakistan military attacks
Tehran has expressed deep concern over escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, urging both sides to exercise restraint.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, in a Wednesday statement, highlighted Iran’s principled stance on avoiding the use of force in intergovernmental relations.
The Iranian official described the growing tensions between Pakistan and India as a serious matter of concern for Iran.
He expressed hope that both sides would take steps toward de-escalation and prevent further deterioration by exercising restraint.
He also warned against potential exploitation of the conflict by third parties, particularly the Israeli regime.
Iran, which borders Pakistan and maintains good relations with India, had offered to mediate last month.
India and Pakistan had heavy artillery exchanges along their contested frontier early Wednesday after New Delhi launched “Operation Sindoor” to conduct missile attacks on targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed at least 26 civilians and wounded 46 others, and India said Pakistani artillery fire had killed 10 civilians and injured 48 others along the de facto border.
India says its missile strikes specifically targeted “militant infrastructure” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the eastern Punjab province of the country.
An Indian Defense Ministry statement said the operation came in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen on April 22.
India has blamed Pakistan-based armed groups for the Pahalgam attack, accusing Islamabad of backing them. Islamabad has denied any role in the attack.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of authorizing the military action primarily to “shore up” his political support at home.
“The retaliation has already started. We won’t take long to settle the score,” Asif said.
