‘Cut ties with Israel’: Pakistan pledges support for Iran
Pakistan expressed its full support for Iran and called for “Muslim unity against Israel” in the aftermath of the ongoing attacks.
“We stand with Iran and will support them at every international forum to protect their interests,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said during his address at the national assembly.
“Israel has targeted Iran, Yemen, and Palestine. If Muslim nations don’t unite now, each one of them will face the same fate.”
He urged all Muslim nations to “immediately cut ties with Israel” and called for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to convene an urgent session to formulate a joint strategy.
Asif said Pakistan has deep ties with Iran and Islamabad “stands by Tehran in this difficult time”. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called the Israeli attack on Iran “a brazen violation of Iran’s sovereignty”.
Pakistan and Iran share a 750km (466 miles) border in Pakistan’s southwest and Iran’s southeast.
A demonstration against Israel’s strikes on Iran in Skardu in Pakistan’s mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region
Strait of Hormuz closure under review by Iran: State media
The closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz is being seriously reviewed by Iran, according to local media reports quoting statements by Esmail Kosari, a member of the parliament’s security commission.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Oman and Iran, is the world’s most important gateway for oil shipping. Even the suggestion of such a move has already sent shockwaves through global markets, and the price of oil has risen.
“Israel has refrained from hitting in any severe fashion the oil infrastructure of Iran. Should that change, that will obviously have a much more dramatic impact,” Taufiq Rahim, an independent geopolitical strategist, told Al Jazeera.
Yeah that would cut off Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Eastern Saudi Arabia.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation condemns Israel’s strikes on Iran
The China-led 10-state regional group says it strongly condemns Israel’s military strikes on Iran and expressed serious concern over the escalation of the situation in the Middle East.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a Eurasian security and political group, said in a statement that Israel’s act targeted civilian and nuclear facilities, causing civilian casualties.
“This seriously violated the principles of international law and the UN Charter, undermined Iran’s sovereignty, undermined regional and international security, and had a serious impact on global peace and stability,” it said.
