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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stressed his hope for the resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in Tehran. (Image Credit: X)
Despite exchanging cross-border airstrikes just a year ago, Pakistan and Iran demonstrated a significant warming of ties, driven primarily by the shared concern over the escalating crisis in Gaza. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir- currently in Tehran- engaged in high-level meetings with the Iranian leadership to foster closer cooperation. While Pakistan used the occasion to raise its conflict with India over Kashmir, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stressed his hope for the resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan.
No Love Lost Between Iran And Pakistan?
Israel’s counterstrike to the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Gaza has become a powerful catalyst for improved relations between Tehran and Islamabad as Ayatollah Khamenei commended Pakistan for resisting “temptations” to normalize ties with Israel, calling it a principled stance against “a blatant betrayal of the Palestinian cause.”
He asserted that the Palestinian issue remains the “foremost concern of the Islamic world,” criticizing some Islamic governments for aligning with Israel despite the widespread global protests against the situation in Gaza. Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif echoed these sentiments emphasizing the international community’s responsibility to bring about a “lasting ceasefire in Palestine” and affirming Pakistan’s solidarity with Iran in promoting regional peace and prosperity.
Iran’s Balanced Stance On Kashmir
During his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, Shehbaz Sharif brought up the India-Pakistan conflict, referencing India’s recent airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror attack. Shehbaz Sharif also expressed appreciation for Iran’s “positive role” during that period. In a joint press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered to engage in dialogue with India to resolve “longstanding problems,” including Kashmir, water-sharing, and trade.
He said, “We are ready to talk, for the sake of peace… We wanted peace, we want peace and we will work for peace in the region through talks,” adding a conditional note, “But if they accept my offer of peace, then we will show that we really want peace, seriously and sincerely.”
Iran’s response to the India-Pakistan dynamic remained measured as Ayatollah Khamenei expressed on X, “We are delighted with the end of conflicts between Pakistan and India and and hope that the differences between the two countries will be resolved.”
Iran-Pakistan Airstrikes
In January 2024, Iran conducted airstrikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, targeting the Jaish al-Adl group. Pakistan swiftly retaliated with its own airstrikes inside Iran, targeting the militant Baloch Liberation Front. Ayatollah Khamenei, in a post on X, reiterated the historically “warm and brotherly” relations between Iran and Pakistan, recalling Pakistan’s “commendable stance during the war Saddam imposed on Iran.”
Iran-India Relations
India and Iran share a strategically vital relationship, largely centered around energy and connectivity, with the Chabahar Port serving as its cornerstone. Located on Iran’s southeastern coast, the port offers India a crucial maritime gateway, bypassing Pakistan, to landlocked Afghanistan and the resource-rich Central Asian republics.
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