Iran is the new bad boy in West Asia. From supporting Hamas to arming Hezbollah to using Houthis in Yemen as proxies, Tehran is in unofficial aggressive mode. On Wednesday it attacked Pakistan using drones and missiles to target bases of a Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, in the mountains of Pakistani Balochistan. Earlier it had targeted Iraq and ISIS-affiliated bases in Idlib, Syria.
Iran’s state-controlled English language Press TV, said the attack on Pakistan was carried out by the Revolutionary Guard. The Jaish al-Adl has a history of armed attacks on Iranian border police, but the immediate provocation for this strike is not clear.
Iran said the strike in Erbil, Iraq targeted a Mossad-affiliated centre, while the Idlib strike was in retaliation for a suicide bombing by ISIS earlier this month in Kerman, that killed 84 people. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, “The action was taken in line was taken in line with the strong defence of the country’s sovereignty and security and against terrorism.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran” which had resulted in the death of two children along with three others being injured. “It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan’s strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.”
The actions have threatened to escalate ongoing tensions in the region where Iran’s proxies are battling Israeli forces. Apart from Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, dangers of a second front appear imminent between Israel and Lebanon-based militia group Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran’s third proxy, the Houthi rebels in Yemen are attacking shipping tankers at the mouth of the Bab el Mandeb strait. An estimated 7.80 million barrels of crude was shipped every day last year through the strait. US air strikes on the Houthis in Yemen has had little effect so far.
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