Pakistan Affirms Iran's Right to Self-Defense Amid Ongoing Tensions with Israel

According to SAEDNEWS, During a weekly briefing in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, voiced serious concerns regarding the ongoing situation in the West Asia region. Her remarks highlighted the "genocidal war" in the Gaza Strip, which has persisted over the past 10 months, as well as the recent assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, in Tehran at the end of July.

“Iran has every right to defend itself,” Baloch stated, underscoring the need for accountability regarding Israel's actions in the region.

The Pakistani spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan's stance on the conflict, emphasizing the country’s support for a ceasefire in Gaza. “Islamabad welcomes any steps towards the establishment of a ceasefire in the war-torn strip,” she added.

According to a statement released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence was targeted in Tehran on July 31. The IRGC claimed that the assassination was "designed and implemented by the Zionist regime and supported by the criminal government of America."

In reaction to this incident, Iranian officials have vowed to retaliate against Israel. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, stated that Israel's actions have laid the groundwork for “harsh punishment” against the regime.

Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the political adviser to the Leader, took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that preparations are being made to punish a regime that “only understands the language of force.” He asserted that the assassination of Haniyeh, along with attacks on worshippers at the Al-Tabin school in Gaza, aims to instigate war and undermine ceasefire negotiations. Shamkhani concluded that measures for severe punishment against the Israeli regime have been established through legal, diplomatic, and media channels.