Iran’s foreign minister to visit Pakistan on Jan. 29 after flareup over military strikes

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gestures during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos on January 17, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 22 January 2024
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Iran’s foreign minister to visit Pakistan on Jan. 29 after flareup over military strikes

  • Both countries recalled ambassadors last week after exchanging airstrikes
  • Ambassadors to return to respective posts on Jan.26 following standoff

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will visit Pakistan on Jan.29, while ambassadors of both countries will return to their respective posts on Jan. 26, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Monday as both countries move to de-escalate tensions after a flareup last week.

Pakistan conducted retaliatory air strikes in a southeastern Iranian border village in which Tehran said nine people were killed, two days after an Iranian drone attack killed two children in southwestern Pakistan, according to Islamabad. Both countries said they had targeted militant bases in the neighboring country.

Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Tehran and barred Iran’s ambassador, who was visiting Iran, from returning to Islamabad after the Iranian strikes. 

“Following the telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has been mutually agreed that ambassadors of both countries may return to their respective posts by 26 January 2024,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.




A man watches a news channel on television inside a shop after the Pakistani foreign ministry said the country conducted strikes inside Iran targeting separatist militants, two days after Tehran said it attacked Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistani territory, in Peshawar, Pakistan on January 18, 2024. (REUTERS)

“At the invitation of Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, will undertake a visit to Pakistan on 29 January 2024.”

Pakistan last Friday announced its decision to restore diplomatic ties with Iran and expressed its willingness to work with Tehran on “all issues,” following a call between their foreign ministers.

Iran and Pakistan share a 900-kilometer (560-mile), largely lawless border and have long suspected each other of supporting, or at least behaving leniently, toward some of the militant groups operating on the other side of the border. Both deny the charges. 


Pakistani national in Dubai killed by falling debris from ‘aerial interception’

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Pakistani national in Dubai killed by falling debris from ‘aerial interception’

  • Pakistani driver killed on Saturday as debris falls on vehicle in Al Barsha area, confirms Government of Dubai Media Office
  • Iran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US troops with missile, drone attacks since Middle East conflict began last week 

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani national was killed this week after debris from an aerial interception fell on a vehicle in Dubai, the Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed on Sunday.

The incident took place in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, the Dubai Media Office wrote on social media platform X, without confirming the location from where the projectile was fired from. 

“Authorities confirm that debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver,” the Dubai Media Office said. 

This is the second Pakistani national killed in the UAE since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. As per local media reports, a Pakistani national died in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28 after being struck by missile fragments. 

Pakistani and Nepalese nationals were among six people injured by falling debris on Thursday after the UAE’s air defense systems intercepted drones, the Abu Dhabi Media Office had confirmed in a statement. 

Iran has carried out several missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries hosting American troops since Isreal and the US launched coordinated strikes against it last week. The surprise attack came after months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. 

Pakistan has asked its citizens in Gulf states to exercise caution, avoid travel and strictly follow official adviseries ever since tensions escalated in the region last week.

The UAE is home to over 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest communities of overseas Pakistanis worldwide.

Pakistan has condemned the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran but also criticized Tehran’s attacks that have targeted countries in the Gulf region, advising all parties to exercise restraint. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday apologized to Gulf neighbors for the attacks, saying Tehran would halt strikes unless attacks against Iran originate from their territories. 

However, questions were raised over the apology as air defense sirens and interceptions were reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain later on Saturday, fueling uncertainty across the Gulf.