Iran Strikes
Pakistan has strongly condemned what it termed the unjustified and illegitimate military aggression by Israel against Iran, calling on the international community and the United Nations to immediately intervene, halt the hostilities, and hold Israel accountable for violating international law and regional peace.
During the weekly press briefing held on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated that Israel’s strikes on Iranian territory were a blatant breach of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He emphasized that such actions contravene the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law. “Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran has the inherent right to self-defence,” he asserted.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s firm solidarity with the people of Iran, Khan said that Islamabad unequivocally denounces these provocative actions, which pose a serious threat to regional and global peace. He warned that the repercussions of this escalation could extend beyond the Middle East, with potentially grave consequences for global security and stability.
In response to the worsening situation, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has remained actively engaged with key international counterparts. He has held telephonic discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian authorities, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
These conversations focused on ways to defuse the tensions and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to maintain peace and prevent further escalation.
The Foreign Office spokesperson also noted that foreign ministers from over 20 Islamic nations have collectively condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression against Iran since June 13, 2025. They reiterated the importance of respecting national sovereignty, upholding the principles of peaceful conflict resolution, and rejecting unilateral military actions.
In a related development, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch inaugurated a regional consultation on “Responsible AI in the Military Domain” in Islamabad on June 17.
In her keynote speech, Baloch highlighted the rapid transformation of warfare through military AI and stressed the urgent need to establish robust legal and political frameworks to govern its use. She cautioned that the unchecked rise of AI in defense, especially in an already volatile global context, is lowering the threshold for the use of force.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to voice concern over the dire humanitarian crisis in Palestine. On June 14, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting to assess Pakistan’s ongoing assistance to the Palestinian people.
He condemned Israel’s repeated violations of human rights in Gaza and the West Bank and called for greater international pressure to halt the suffering of civilians.
Additionally, on June 13, Ishaq Dar led a preparatory meeting for the upcoming 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission, scheduled for June 24 in Abu Dhabi.
Separately, the fifth round of the Pakistan-European Union dialogue on non-proliferation and disarmament was held in Islamabad on June 12, where both sides exchanged views on global peace and strategic stability.
Touching upon the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the FO spokesperson expressed deep concern over the Indian government’s repressive actions during Eid-ul-Adha.
He noted that authorities in Srinagar barred congregational prayers at the historic Jama Masjid and Eidgah, and placed prominent religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest. Khan reiterated Pakistan’s call for India to respect the religious and human rights of Kashmiris and to allow them their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
