The Pakistan Air Force entered Iran’s airspace during missile strikes aimed at groups labeled as anti-Pakistan elements operating inside the country. A Pakistani intelligence source cited by Reuters indicated that Pakistani aircraft reportedly performed the operation and then exited Iranian airspace. Details on the number of fighters involved were not disclosed by officials.
Late on January 18, Pakistan said it conducted attacks targeting anti-Pakistan groups in the Serawan region, a southeastern area near the border with Pakistan. The strikes followed a January 16 incident in which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles against what Iran described as a base of the Jaish al-Adl terrorist network in Balochistan province. This marked Iran’s first reported missile attack on Pakistani soil.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian asserted that Iranian forces were pursuing Iranian-based terrorists operating in Pakistani territory. Pakistani authorities responded by condemning the Iranian strikes and recalling the Iranian ambassador after the incident.
Separately, the United States has accused Iran of plotting attacks by Houthi forces against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, adding to regional tensions and shifting the security calculus for neighboring states.