PM Shehbaz condemns ‘unprovoked’ attack on Iran by Israel

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned on Friday the unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel.

“I convey my deepest sympathies to the Iranian people on the loss of lives in this attack,” the PM wrote on X. He termed the grave and highly irresponsible act as deeply alarming and said that it risks further de-stabilising “an already volatile region”.

“We urge the international community and the United Nations to take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.”

His statement comes after Israel said it targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders on Friday at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Iranian state television reported that Hossein Salami, the chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards corps, had been killed and the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.

Iran said it was planning to ‘give a harsh response’ to the attack, an Iranian security source told Reuters.

“The response to the Israeli attack will be harsh and decisive,” the official said, adding that details of Iran’s retaliation “are being discussed at the highest levels” when asked whether the attack would be imminent.

Moreover, in a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the Israeli military strikes violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and clearly contravene the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.

“Pakistan stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequivocally denounces these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari too condemned Israel’s unprovoked attack.

“We call on all responsible nations and the United Nations to work collectively towards de-escalation and to uphold international law, so that peace and security may prevail over aggression and conflict,” he wrote on X.