Pakistan and Iran have agreed to “de-escalate” tensions after an exchange of missile and drone attacks this week raised concerns about further instability in the region, Islamabad said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke by phone on Friday, according to a statement from the Pakistani foreign ministry.
“The two foreign ministers agreed that working level cooperation and close coordination on counter terrorism and other aspects of mutual concern should be strengthened. They also agreed to de-escalate the situation,” the statement read.
“The return of ambassadors of the two countries to their respective capitals was also discussed,” it added.
On Tuesday night, Iran launched a missile and drone attack on the armed group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s southwestern border province of Balochistan. Pakistan, in turn, targeted armed groups within Iran on Thursday.
Pakistan recalled its representative from Tehran, claiming that Iran’s envoy, who was on a visit home, was prevented from returning to Islamabad.
“For the first time, we’re seeing both countries’ militaries get involved in what has been a slow-burner proxy war that has continued in these two provinces of Balochistan and Sistan-Baluchestan, and now, as we’ve been hearing from various sources and analysts, things seem to be going back on track towards normalcy.”
Diplomatic Relations
On Friday, Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar called a meeting of the National Security Committee, which included all military service chiefs, to discuss the current crisis.
Following the attacks on Thursday, Kakar departed from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and returned home.
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