Islamabad and Tehran are set to mend ties following recent hostilities, as both countries have announced the resumption of diplomatic relations after engaging in reciprocal air strikes. In a joint statement issued on Monday, Iran and Pakistan revealed that their recalled ambassadors would return on January 26, with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian planning to visit his Pakistani counterpart three days later. The move indicates a concerted effort to rebuild relations after missile attacks on each other’s border regions led to a sharp deterioration in ties.
The recent cross-border intrusions, considered the most high-profile in years, targeted what both nations referred to as “terrorist” groups in regions surrounding their mutual border. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck locations of the Jaish al-Adl armed group in Panjgur, Pakistan’s Balochistan province, while Pakistan responded by bombing hideouts of Baloch separatists in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both areas are characterized by restiveness, mineral wealth, and underdevelopment.
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The swift escalation in hostilities prompted the withdrawal of ambassadors, the severance of official ties, and heightened rhetoric between Islamabad and Tehran. The development also raised global concerns, particularly amid existing apprehensions that Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza could ignite a broader regional conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both countries to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further escalation of tensions. Violence has erupted across the Middle East since Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, leading to Israeli forces bombarding Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 25,000 Palestinians. Recent weeks have witnessed regular fighting and air attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and the Red Sea region.