News of War Staff Writer
A drone is seen during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on October 4, 2023. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran and Pakistan Engage in Reciprocal Air Strikes Amidst Rising Regional Tensions
Iran announced on Friday that it had successfully conducted an air defence exercise using drones aimed at intercepting hostile entities across an expanse stretching from its southwestern to southeastern coastlines, amidst escalating tensions in the region.
On Thursday, Pakistan initiated air strikes targeting what it described as separatist militants within Iran, in a counter-attack following Tehran's claim of having struck bases of another group inside Pakistani territory two days earlier.
These reciprocal strikes, the most prominent cross-border incursions in recent times, have heightened concerns about broader instability in the Middle East, particularly since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October.
"Iranian forces have effectively launched a novel air defence strategy employing drones to intercept and engage hostile entities," a statement from an Iranian army spokesperson on state-run Press TV.
The two-day exercises, commencing on Thursday, span an area from Abadan in the southwestern region of Khuzestan province to Chahbahar in the southeastern area of Sistan and Baluchistan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Press TV reported the participation of the army's air force and navy, the aerospace division, and the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the drills.
Iran and Pakistan, historically having strained relations, have both indicated a willingness to ease tensions following this week's strikes.
Amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Iran and its allied militias across the Middle East have been conducting assaults on Israeli and U.S. interests in the region, supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Iran has also launched attacks in Syria, targeting what it claims were Islamic State locations, and in Iraq, where it alleges to have struck an Israeli espionage centre.