US-Israeli | Pakistan

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday stressed political unity in the country amid the economic crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. He made the remarks while speaking in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to mark the 47th death anniversary of PPP founder and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “We feel that there should be consensus in Pakistan and political differences should be kept aside in order to work together,” he said. He also appreciated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for constructively participating in consultations held with the president and the prime minister. He thanked Afridi for participating in the meetings, and playing a “positive role” in the process. “Together, the Centre, provinces, political parties … will face these difficulties as one. If there is no division among us, there is no force in the world that can break Pakistan,” he said. In his remarks, Bilawal had also condemned the US-Israeli war on Iran, saying that the entire world, including Pakistan, was...

Russia, China urge halt to US-Israeli strikes on Iran; US backs Gulf allies

On 27th day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the conflict has continued to be fully kinetic with no sign of de-escalation, even as US President Donald Trump’s five-day pause expires on Friday. Meanwhile, the overall trajectory of the conflict points towards an imminent widening of hostilities across multiple theatres. Over the past 24 hours, direct strikes inside Iran intensified. Multiple explosions were reported across central, southern and eastern Tehran, with air defence systems activated across the capital, while additional strikes hit Khorramabad, triggering blackouts and being followed by rescue operations. Reports also indicated damage in areas where residences and infrastructure are located in Mashhad. Iran’s response, both directly and through its regional network of allies, showed a marked escalation in tempo and scale. Missile and drone strikes continued against Israeli targets, with reports suggesting improved penetration rates against air defences and expanded targeting of defence, industrial and ...

Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani and the commander of paramilitary force Basij, Gholamreza Soleimani, were assassinated in US-Israeli strikes on Tuesday. The confirmation of Larijani’s assassination came hours after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had been “eliminated last night”, along with the commander of Tehran’s Basij paramilitary force. “I have just been updated by the chief of staff that Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the head of the Basij — Iran’s central repression apparatus — (Soleimani), were eliminated last night,” Katz said in a statement released by his ministry. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council later confirmed Larijani’s assassination, saying: “The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of God’s righteous servant, martyr Dr Ali Larijani.” It added that Larijani’s son and his bodyguards had died with him. “After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement of Iran and of the Islamic Revolution, he ultimately attained ...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday thanked the government and people of Pakistan for extending their “strong solidarity and support” with Iran and its people who he said were facing aggression from the United States and Israel. In a post in Urdu on X, Araghchi said: “On this blessed, divine, and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their strong expression of solidarity and support with the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime.” Araghchi added that Iran stood with “steadfastness and perseverance in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with complete reliance on Allah Almighty”. His post comes amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The strikes also assassinated Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf...

Pollution resulting from the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil sites could worsen air quality in Pakistan's western parts, the country's official weather agency cautioned on Monday.

Oil prices rose for a third day on Tuesday as the widening US-Israeli conflict with Iran and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz heightened fears of supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region. Brent crude futures were at $79.44 a barrel, up $1.70, or 2.2 per cent, by 04:00 GMT. On Monday, the contract surged to as high as $82.37, its highest since January 2025, though it pared those gains to settle 6.7pc higher. US West Texas Intermediate crude jumped $1.17, or 1.6pc, to $72.40 a barrel. In the previous session, the contract initially climbed to its highest since June 2025 before sliding back to still settle up 6.3pc. “With no quick de-escalation in sight, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Iran showing a willingness to target energy infrastructure in the region, upside risks remain and they grow the longer the conflict drags on,” Tony Sycamore, ING market analyst, said in a note. The US and Israeli air war against Iran widened on Monday with Israel attacking Lebanon an...

ISLAMABAD: A senior security official on Monday dismissed speculation that after Iran, Pakistan could be the next target of US-Israeli military action, saying such perceptions were “devoid of facts” and were being spread by “agents of chaos”. According to a brief shared with Dawn, the official said Pakistan was unlike Iran, that it was fully integrated with the world and fully capable of defending itself. He said that those spreading “alarmist narratives” were pursuing “nefarious and vested interests.” His remarks came amid an escalating war in the Middle East in which Israel and the United States, for the second time in eight months, launched coordinated strikes against Iran. Tehran retaliated by targeting Israeli territory and American military facilities in neighbouring countries, raising fears of a wider regional conflagration. Following the US-Israeli airstrikes, there has been speculation and concerns that Pakistan could face similar aggression. Some analyses from Western think tanks had also speculated...

Hamas handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump. “The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve […]