The Middle East is going through moments of utmost tension. This Wednesday, the United States Army reported that its air forces carried out strikes against 14 Houthi missiles that were loaded and ready to be fired from Yemen. This is the fourth attack this week against Houthi targets.
Moments later, independent sources reported that Pakistan finally responded to the bombings attributed to Iran that killed two Pakistani children.
“Pakistan Air Force has conducted airstrikes on Baluch separatist camps inside Iran. The move comes a day after Iran claimed to have targeted militants inside Pakistani territory, a claim rejected by Pakistan, citing civilian casualties,” reported journalist Salman Masood, Pakistani correspondent for The New York Times.
Breaking —- Pakistan Air Force has conducted airstrikes on Baluch separatist camps inside Iran. The move comes a day after Iran claimed to have targeted militants inside Pakistani territory, a claim rejected by Pakistan, citing civilian casualties.
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 18, 2024
Masood also reported that Pakistan attacked about seven camps used by Balochis between 25 and 30 miles inside Iranian territory. The attacks, according to preliminary reports, also hit a post of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The Baloch are a persecuted ethnic minority in both Iran and Pakistan due to their claim for independence for the region of Sistan and Balochistan.
The United States shows no mercy for the Houthis
For weeks, Houthi rebels, an Iranian-backed terrorist group, have been attacking and hijacking ships from dozens of countries along the Red Sea, slowing trade between Asia and Europe.
After weeks of inaction, the United States and the United Kingdom, along with support from four other countries, finally began a round of attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen.
“These missiles on the launch paths presented an imminent threat to US merchant vessels and Navy vessels in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting US forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves,” said the Central Command, regarding this Wednesday’s attack.
“These attacks, along with other actions we have taken, will degrade the Houthis’ capabilities to continue their reckless attacks on international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden,” declared the Army.
Conflict between Iran and Pakistan escalates
According to various independent reports, Pakistani planes bombed Baluchi positions and also an area where the Revolutionary Guard headquarters is located in the city of Saraván, inside Iranian territory.
Pakistan is one of the nine countries in the world that has nuclear weapons in its arsenal. According to data from 2023 published by Statista, the Asian country has about 170 nuclear warheads. It ranks above countries such as India, Israel and North Korea.
The Iranian attacks reported by Pakistan were supposedly directed against positions of the jihadist group Yeish al Adl. However, Pakistan denied the Iranian version, accused the theocracy of murdering two Pakistani children and then broke relations with Tehran.
The jihadist organization, however, confirmed that its facilities were subject to missile and drone bombing by the Iranian Armed Forces.
“The Yeish al Adl organization reports that the Revolutionary Guard terrorist group has attacked the homes of some of our fighters in the mountains of Balochistan with suicide drones and missiles,” the group said in a statement.
Journalist Ignacio Montes de Oca, who specializes in international relations, wrote in his account on X (Twitter) that Pakistan’s attack was designed in response to the “excuse” that Iran used to bomb Pakistani territory. That is, the bombings were carried out against a second group in addition to the target country.
Pakistán respondió al ataque iraní
Aviones paquistaníes bombardearon posiciones baluchíes y la zona en donde se levanta al cuartel de la Guardia Revolucionaria en la ciudad de Saraván, en la provincia iraní de Sistán, 32 km dentro del territorio de Irán pic.twitter.com/8Jeitbajue— Nacho Montes de Oca (@nachomdeo) January 18, 2024
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had already warned Iran of “serious consequences” for reporting Iranian bombings on its territory.
The ministry had called the attack an “unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran...within Pakistani territory.”
“It is even more worrying that this illegal act has occurred despite the existence of several communication channels between Pakistan and Iran,” stated the ministry, at a time of maximum tension between two countries that, until hours ago, had maintained stable relations.
