ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday has said that war is not in the interest of anyone and that its dangerous for the peace.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan is closely monitoring the Middle East situation and that the region should refrain from going into any severe circumstances. The use of power should be avoided, he stressed.
FM Shah Mahmood said that the escalating situation can affect Afghan peace process. Pakistan is desirous of peace and stability in the region and will continue to play its role to maintain it, he went on to say.
The minister further urged the United Nations to play its role in de-escalation of tension between Tehran and Washington-D.C. in the best interest of the region.
The reaction came after Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases used by the US military, officials in Iran and US said, in the first act of the Islamic republic’s promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general.
The Pentagon said it was still “working on initial battle damage assessments” after “Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq.”
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” the Pentagon said.
There were no immediate reports on casualties but the Pentagon said it had been ready, after days of steadily mounting tension and exchanges of threats of war.
“These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region,” a spokesman said.
