Actions in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan Not Related to Gaza: Iran

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hosein Amir Abdolahian stated that the military actions of the Iranian army in Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan are not related to the Israeli offensive against the Palestinians.

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Abdolahian made these remarks during an interview with journalist Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum (WEF), which takes place in Davos, Switzerland.

Previously, Iran launched attacks with missiles and drones against targets of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, the Israeli Mossad in Iraq, and the Sunni extremist group in Pakistan.

Iranian authorities claimed that the attacks were in retaliation for the Kerman bombing, which claimed 94 lives and was claimed by ISIS. The attacks also responded to a terrorist attack in Rask city that left 11 dead and the deaths of Iranian commanders and resistance members.

"We launched missile attacks on Mossad-related facilities in Erbil, with no intention of harming Iraq," Abdolahian stated, emphasizing that these military actions were not against Pakistanis.

The text reads, "Iran and Pakistan held a day-long joint naval training drill in the Hormuz Strait and the northern tip of the Persian Gulf."

"We attacked the Jaish al-Adl group, not Pakistani citizens. Our targets were Iranian terrorists in Pakistan," the Iranian diplomat asserted.

Despite this explanation, the Pakistani government strained relations by ordering the return of its ambassador to Iran and announcing the suspension of all high-level visits with Iran.

On Wednesday, the Iranian diplomat contacted the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry Jalil Abbas Jilani. During their telephone conversation, Abdollahian emphasized the importance of maintaining cooperation and contact between both countries.

"Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity are strongly our concern," the Iranian FM said, stressing that the Jaish-al-Adl group acts against the joint security of Iran and Pakistan.

For his part, the Pakistani FM Jilani "pointed to the common ideals of the two countries and the history of Iran and Pakistan in defending each other, as well as fighting terrorism, emphasizing that Iran's security is Pakistan's security and whenever there is a threat on Pakistani soil against Iran, Pakistan has taken action against it," as reported by IRNA agency.