EVEN as Iran-backed militia groups are causing mayhem in West Asia, Tehran carried out unprecedented missile and drone strikes on terrorist bases in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Tuesday. Two strongholds of Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, were reportedly demolished, a day after Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards unleashed missiles on targets in Iraq and Syria. Calling the incident an ‘unprovoked violation’ of its sovereignty, Pakistan has recalled its ambassador to Iran. According to Islamabad, the ‘illegal’ act took place despite the existence of several established channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran. Notably, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, the same day.

The Iranian attacks come amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Hamas, which carried out an audacious attack on Israel on October 7, and the Houthis, who have been targeting ships in the Red Sea, are backed by Iran. Nearly 100 people were killed in two blasts at a memorial ceremony on January 3 in honour of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack in 2020. Iran had vowed revenge for the twin bombings. It is apparent that Iran and the US are fighting a proxy war, which has grave implications for West Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Tehran has repeatedly alleged that Jaish al-Adl is using Pakistani territory to carry out terror strikes against Iranian security forces. Last month, at least 11 cops were killed in an attack on a police station in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. Pakistan claims that terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region, but it is not doing enough to help root out the menace and gain credibility among its neighbours, including India. Having incurred the wrath of Iran — long regarded by the US and its allies as a rogue state — Pakistan finds itself sinking deeper into the mire.