Iran’s chief diplomat said Tuesday that Tehran opposes military escalation in the region but “will certainly respond” to the deadly Oct. 26 strike by Israel against his country.
During an official visit to neighboring Pakistan, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the Israeli attack on Iranian military bases and other installations, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, mostly security personnel.
“Unlike the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek escalation. However, we reserve our inherent right to legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter,” he told a joint news conference in Islamabad with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar.
“We would certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner in a very measured and well-calculated manner,” Araghchi said without elaborating further.
Israeli warplanes conducted the October 26 strikes, saying they were in retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on October 1. Iran described its military action as a response to the killing of militant leaders backed by Tehran and a commander from the Revolutionary Guards.
On Sunday, Iranian state media quoted President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying that a potential cease-fire between its regional allies and Israel “could affect the intensity and type of” Iran’s response to the Israeli attack.
Dar stated Tuesday that during discussions with his Iranian counterpart, both sides condemned the “unrestrained Israeli aggression” in the Middle East and emphasized the urgent need for a “cease-fire” and “de-escalation.”
Gas pipeline
Araghchi said that during his meetings in Islamabad, he also stressed the need to boost political, economic, commercial, and energy cooperation between Iran and Pakistan. He described terrorism as a mutual threat for both countries and urged enhanced cooperation.
The two foreign ministers did not discuss the status of a long-stalled multi-billion-dollar pipeline, though, intended to export Iranian natural gas to energy-starved Pakistan.
The United States is opposed to the project as a violation of its sanctions on Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Under a 2009 gas sales and purchase agreement for the cross-border pipeline, the Iranian side must supply Pakistan with up to 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day from Iran’s South Pars Field. However, the project has been on hold since then.
Iranian officials have long announced that the 900-kilometer pipeline is completed on their side of the border. Pakistani officials say they have not started constructing their portion of the pipeline for fear of being slapped with U.S. sanctions.
Tehran has been pressing Islamabad to uphold its end of the project or pay a reported financial penalty of up to $18 billion for delaying it.
Pakistan has recently hired the services of two U.S.-based law firms to represent the country at the International Court of Arbitration in anticipation of a potential situation in which Iran may compel Islamabad to fulfill its obligations or face financial penalties.
The move followed Tehran’s reported final notice to Islamabad in August before seeking arbitration from the Paris-based body.
