Pak Condemns US Strikes, Backs Tehran’s Right to Self-Defence

News Desk 

Islamabad: Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent United States airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them a blatant violation of international law and expressing full support for Iran’s right to self-defence under the UN Charter.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said, “Pakistan condemns the US attacks on the nuclear facilities of Iran. These strikes violate all norms of international law. Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the United Nations Charter.”

The condemnation follows a sharp escalation of tensions in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington had launched strikes that “completely and totally obliterated” key Iranian nuclear sites, including the Fordow enrichment plant, Natanz, and Isfahan.

In a brief televised address, President Trump urged Iran to “make peace” or face further consequences. “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater—and a lot easier,” he warned. Trump was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his remarks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denounced the US attacks as a “grave violation” of international law, including the UN Charter and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Calling the strikes “outrageous,” Araghchi warned of “everlasting consequences.”

“Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people,” he declared in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Expressing deep concern over the risk of further escalation, Pakistan urged restraint from all sides and emphasized the need to prevent further destabilization in the region.

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“We urge all parties to uphold international law, particularly international humanitarian law, and to protect civilian lives and infrastructure,” the FO statement added. “Only dialogue and diplomacy, in line with the UN Charter, offer a sustainable path forward to resolve the current crisis.”

The latest US strike is being seen as a continuation of long-standing hostility between Washington and Tehran, which dates back more than four decades.

Although US intelligence agencies have not concluded that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons, Tehran’s nuclear program has often been viewed as a bargaining chip in broader geopolitical negotiations. Analysts believe Iran may have anticipated such strikes and taken protective measures.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a prominent critic of military solutions, cautioned against conflating short-term tactical gains with long-term strategic success.

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“Trump has now made it more likely that Iran will become a nuclear weapons state within the next five to ten years,” Parsi warned. “We must remember the Iraq war also began with apparent success, but President Bush’s declaration of ‘Mission Accomplished’ did not age well.”

The regional and global implications of the US-Iran confrontation remain uncertain, but Pakistan’s call for diplomacy underlines the growing urgency for a peaceful resolution.