Pakistan-Iran tensions: What’s next as countries escalate attacks?

Two days after Iran attacked what it claimed were terrorists inside Pakistan, Pakistan carried out attacks on what it claims are “separatists” inside Iran. Iran has demanded an explanation from Pakistan about the attacks, Tasnim News in Iran said on Thursday morning. On the one hand, this could be seen as two countries attacking militant groups in each other’s territory and not necessarily attacking each other, but the series of attacks threaten to escalate tensions between the countries and escalate tensions in South Asia.

According to CNN, “Pakistan has carried out a series of military strikes on what it said were separatist militant hideouts inside Iran, its foreign ministry said Thursday, in the latest incident across their shared border that has sent tensions between the two neighbors soaring.”

Pakistan claims these were a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes.” Pakistan is striking inside Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province. Similarly, Iran has struck West Pakistan. It’s worth noting that both these regions are populated by minority groups, particularly the Baloch. Therefore, both countries are actually attacking minorities to get back at each other. Iran’s attacks, for instance, killed civilians in Pakistan. READ MORE