There are no signs of the Iran-Israel conflict coming to an end anytime soon. The missile war between the two countries began last week since Israel launched its provocative strikes against the Islamic Republic in which it hit multiple sites and killed several senior Iranian military leaders and scientists.
This left Iran with no option but to hit back and send barrages of drones and missiles towards the Zionist entity. According to some media reports, the US had sent hundreds of missiles to Israel before the attack on Iran, while there are also indications that American forces helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel. In response, Tehran has said it will hit American as well as British and French assets if these states defend Tel Aviv.
As the hostilities intensified, Iran activated its air defences in several regions, with Israel warning its citizens to take shelter against successive barrages of Iranian missiles. On the other hand, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit “every target of the regime”. Israel’s operation has targeted Iran’s air defences and hit key nuclear and military sites, killing dozens of people. The Israeli military told citizens to heed air alerts and “enter a protected space and remain there until further notice”.
There has been widespread condemnation of the Israeli strikes from several states, particularly the Muslim world. The Pakistani leadership as well as parliament have denounced Tel Aviv’s aggression and expressed solidarity with Tehran. Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council during an emergency session convened last week that Israel’s provocative behaviour has brought the Middle East to the precipice of a full-scale war. Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities constitute a “grave danger and a serious threat” to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond. In his remarks, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar strongly condemned the “unjustified and illegitimate” aggression by Israel against Iran, reaffirming that Islamabad stood in complete solidarity with the Iranian government and people. The Pakistani envoy also urged the Security Council to discharge its responsibility to uphold international law and stop the Israeli aggression immediately and called for the resolution of the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.
Tel Aviv has tried to justify its attack on Iran, saying it posed a threat to “Israel’s very survival”. This is a false and baseless allegation. On the contrary, it is Israel that has constantly been threatening Iran and other states in the region. Israel bombed Iranian diplomatic facilities in Damascus and assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last year.
In fact, Israel has continuously been endangering regional peace for decades by attacking other countries in its neighbourhood. Over the last few years, besides rampaging Gaza, Israel has attacked Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The plain truth is that Israel is a rogue state and a serious threat to world peace.
As the conflict intensifies, there is a strong possibility that it may expand, particularly if the US gets involved. Such a development would be disastrous for the region. Highlighting the unforeseen dangers, Turkish President Recep Erdogan has warned against a “devastating war” with regional consequences. Meanwhile, a new round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran scheduled earlier has been cancelled, with Iran saying it could not negotiate while under attack from Israel.
President Trump’s role has been dubious from the beginning. While the talks with Tehran were going on, why did he not act preemptively to stop Israel’s attack on Iran? Tel Aviv’s plea that it is waging ‘pre-emptive’ strikes to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb is palpably false, because it comes from a state which is pursuing a nuclear programme itself, and has flagrantly violated the sovereignty of all its neighbouring states.
According to a statement from his office, Iranian President Pezeshkian has condemned Washington’s “dishonesty” for supporting Israel while engaged in nuclear talks with Iran — which mediator Oman said would no longer take place. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said the Israeli attacks undermined negotiations and were pushing the region into a “dangerous cycle of violence”.
A few days ago, President Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in a phone call that the Iran-Israel conflict should stop before further escalation. Trump calls himself a ‘man of peace’, but in the present case he is yet to justify his claim. He seems to be standing by Israeli aggression. With the prospects for peace looking dim, the world, particularly Iran’s neighbours — including Pakistan — must redouble their efforts to restore peace in a region which is a major trade and energy hub. Being close to the theatre of war, Pakistan is particularly vulnerable and must take all possible precautionary steps to safeguard its interests, using its diplomatic and political clout in the region.