ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to Tehran, Ambassador Mudassir, said on Friday he was en route to Iran as tensions appeared to de-escalate between the two countries after tit-for-tat strikes in each other’s territory.
Tensions between Pakistan and Iran soared last week after both countries targeted what they said were militant hideouts on each other’s soil. The strikes by the two countries were the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years and prompted them to recall their envoys.
However, both countries quickly moved to de-escalate tensions and announced in a joint statement that ambassadors of both nations had been asked to return to their posts by Jan. 26, while the Iranian foreign minister would also visit Pakistan on Jan. 29.
On Friday, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran said he was leaving for Iran in conformity with “sincere and good wishes” of the Pakistani leadership.
“In conformity with the sincere and good wishes of Pakistan’s leadership, I am en route to Tehran. Ever more determined to work for a more robust, stronger & peace-loving Pakistan,” the Pakistani envoy said.
“Strong Pakistan and Iran [ties] are critical for region and to promote historic people to people ties. Time to turn a new leaf.”
The strikes between Pakistan and Iran further raised concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East, which has already been affected by Israel’s war on Gaza since Oct. 7 and the attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
On Thursday, the US State Department said it would welcome any country pressing Tehran to curb its “malign and destabilizing activities,” especially attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis.
“Should any country around the world be interested in continuing to call on Iran to cease its malign and destabilizing activities, its activities that particularly in the Red Sea are making international waterways and legitimate commerce unsafe, we’d welcome any country continuing to press Iran to curb its support for those kinds of actions,” State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said at a press briefing.
The statement came ahead of the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Islamabad. The US has also asked China to urge Tehran to rein in Houthis attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, according to international media reports.
The attacks, which the Houthis say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, have raised the cost of shipping and insurance by disrupting a key trade route between Asia and Europe.
