Pakistan, Iran Ease Tensions After Tit-for-Tat Missile Strikes
- Pakistan responded after Iran said it was targeting terrorists
- Washington and Beijing have both called for restraint
People protest against Iranian launched air strikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, in Islamabad on Jan. 18.
Photographer: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Pakistan and Iran said they’re aiming to defuse tensions, amid calls for restraint from the US and China after the neighboring nations exchanged missile strikes.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke Friday, according to separate statements. Pakistan said the two agreed to de-escalate the situation and discussed the return of ambassadors to their respective capitals. Iran stressed the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of its neighbor and said the two must cooperate to neutralize and destroy “terrorist camps” in Pakistan.