Iran And Pakistan In Talks To End Deadly Border Clashes

Iran and Pakistan have indicated their joint willingness to de-escalate tensions between the neighboring countries, with both foreign ministers engaging in a telephone conversation on Friday to discuss the matter.

The historically rocky relationship between Iran and Pakistan took a dramatic turn this week, as tit-for-tat airstrikes on targets across their border raised concerns of growing instability in the Middle East.

The call between the two ministers came a day after Pakistan carried out airstrikes on the Iranian city of Saravan, which is around 50 miles from the border between the two countries.

A deputy governor from the Iranian region told state television that the attack had killed at least nine people, including four children.

The strike came in response to Iran’s missile and drone attack in Balochistan, a province in western Pakistan, on Tuesday. Officials in Islamabad said the attack killed two children and injured three other people.

Also Read: Israel’s Sights On Lebanon After Lessons Learned From Gaza Campaign, Says IDF Chief

Targeting Terrorists

Both countries said they were targeting terrorist groups. Iran’s attack on Balochistan was aimed at members of Jaish al-Adl, an Iranian militant group, while Pakistan said its strike on Saravan came “in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities.”

On Friday, following the call between Pakistan’s foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign office in Islamabad issued a statement that said: “Foreign Minister Jilani expressed Pakistan's readiness to work with Iran on all issues based on spirit of mutual trust and co-operation. He underscored the need for closer co-operation on security issues.”

The confrontation between the two countries stands against the backdrop of an increasingly unsettled Middle East as Israel continues its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Iran’s Allies

Iran’s population of mainly Shi-ite Muslims stands at odds with most other Islamic nations, where the predominant group is Sunni.

This week, Iran also launched strikes on Syria against, it said, Daesh — or Islamic State — sites. It also carried out an airstrike on what it claimed was an Israeli espionage center in Iraq.

But Iran does have its allies, including Hezbollah, the Shi-ite militia in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels of Yemen, which it has been funding to carry out attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Indeed, late on Thursday, Houthis launched ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned ship, the Chem Ranger. The ship was not damaged and no-one was injured, however, President Joe Biden acknowledged that recent U.S. airstrikes on Houthi bases in Yemen had failed to deter the group, Bloomberg reports.

In Israel on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set aside the possibility of a post-war Palestinian state, dismissing calls for such a resolution to the conflict, Politico reports.

Markets

There was little, or no, reaction on markets on Friday to geopolitical events.

Oil prices were slightly lower, with the United States Oil Fund USO, an exchange traded fund that tracks the price of light-sweet crude, down 0.3%.

Equity markets were trading a little higher in midday trade, and the SPDR S&P 500 SPY, an ETF that tracks the broad U.S. stock index, was up 0.4%.

Now Read: Iran Emerges From Shadows With Direct Strike In Iraq

Photo: Shutterstock