Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan addresses a press briefing in Islamabad on May 16, 2025. — Facebook/File
Israeli strikes violate territorial integrity of Iran: FO.
Says Iran has right to self-defence under UN’s Article 51.
Denounces Israeli actions as blatant provocations.
Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the “unjustified and illegitimate aggression” by Israel against Iran, urging the international community and the United Nations to take immediate steps to uphold international law and hold Israel accountable.
“The Israeli military strikes violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran and clearly contravene the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law. Iran has a right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan during a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
He further said that Pakistan stood in “resolute solidarity” with the people of Iran and denounced the Israeli actions as blatant provocations that pose a serious threat to regional and global peace, security, and stability.
The spokesperson also confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with his counterparts from Iran, Turkiye, Egypt, UAE and UK.
The FO spokesperson said the discussions focused on the deteriorating regional situation with the leaders expressing concern over the escalation.
They agreed on the importance of working together to maintain peace and stability and emphasised the need to de-escalate tensions, he added.
Furthermore, he highlighted that 21 Muslim countries have jointly rejected Israel’s aggression against Iran, calling the actions a breach of international laws and the UN Charter.
The FO spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing call for the urgent establishment of the Middle East as a zone free of nuclear and major weapons of mass destruction.
Fighting between Iran and Israel entered their seventh consecutive day on Thursday with fresh missile strikes reported across southern and central Israel, including a direct hit on a hospital in Beersheba.
Israeli officials said Iran launched “dozens” of missiles, some of which struck areas near Tel Aviv as well as the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. The hospital was left heavily damaged, with parts engulfed in flames.
Shlomi Codish, the hospital’s director, reported that 40 people had been injured in the strike. “Several wards were completely demolished, and there is extensive damage across the entire hospital,” he said.
In response, Iranian officials claimed the target of the missile barrage was a nearby military and intelligence facility, not the hospital.
