ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commanders said on Tuesday Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities had undermined ongoing peace efforts in the region, condemning the attack while warning that such actions risk derailing diplomatic attempts to end the war.
The comments came after Riyadh said ballistic missiles and drones launched toward its Eastern Region had been intercepted, though debris fell near key energy infrastructure, as Iran continued attacks across the Gulf following the war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.
Meeting at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the top army generals appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan government to bring an end to the war in the Middle East, calling for restraint, dialogue and de-escalation.
“The Forum noted with concern and vehemently condemned latest attacks on KSA’s petrochemical and industrial complex as an unnecessary escalation which spoils sincere efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement circulated after the Corps Commanders’ Conference.
“The Forum noted that restrain and calibration so far exhibited by KSA, despite grave provocations, enabled mediation and diplomatic resolution,” the statement continued, adding that “such unwarranted aggressions have serious repercussions, to spoil the ongoing peaceful options and conducive environment.”
Earlier, the foreign office also denounced the Iranian strikes, saying that Pakistan mourned the “loss of life resulting from these attacks” and “deplored the damage inflicted on vital infrastructure.”
“The Government of Pakistan expresses its deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of the missile and drone attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran last night against energy facilities in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it said.
The foreign office said Pakistan viewed the attacks as a “serious violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” describing them as a dangerous escalation.
It also reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the Kingdom’s security.”
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also told a local news channel Pakistan remained committed to peace but strongly condemned the attack on Saudi Arabia, which he called unprovoked and unjustified.
“The defense of Saudi Arabia, particularly the protection of the Two Holy Mosques, is of paramount importance,” he told Geo News, adding that any attempt to target the Kingdom’s economic interests amounted to an attack on its stability.
Pakistan has consistently condemned Iranian strikes on Gulf countries, even as it denounced attacks on Iran in late February, and has sought to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran while working with regional states to end hostilities.
Last year in September, Islamabad and Riyadh signed a joint defense pact under which an attack on one would be considered an attack on both, and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said at the outset of the war that Pakistan had reminded Iran of the agreement.
Iran has launched repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in recent weeks amid fears of a wider conflict.
The escalation has also disrupted energy markets, with Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil supply route, contributing to rising prices and economic uncertainty worldwide.
