Iran offers to mediate as India-Pakistan tensions escalate over Kashmir attack

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack in the disputed region of Kashmir, Iran has offered to mediate in an effort to ease the crisis. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Tehran’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between the two South Asian rivals, Caliber.Az reports.

"India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbours of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbours, we consider them our foremost priority," Aaraghchi wrote on the X platform.

"Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time, in line with the spirit taught by Persian poet Saadi:

Human Beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is inflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain," he added.

The Iranian initiative comes in the wake of a deadly assault on April 22, when militants from the Resistance Front — an insurgent group actively operating in Jammu and Kashmir — opened fire on civilians, including tourists. The attack claimed 26 lives.

India has blamed Pakistan for supporting the militant group behind the violence. Islamabad has rejected the accusations, insisting it has no connection to the attack.

Following the incident, New Delhi took a series of retaliatory measures. It reduced Pakistan’s diplomatic staff, suspended the Indus Waters Treaties, and cancelled visas previously issued to Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan, in turn, has issued strong warnings about the deteriorating situation. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif cautioned that the growing crisis could escalate into a full-scale war.

The heightened rhetoric and military posturing have fueled concerns that India may be contemplating military retaliation, potentially resembling the 2019 airstrikes conducted after a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir.

India has publicly identified three individuals allegedly involved in the recent attack, stating that two of them are believed to be Pakistani nationals. However, Indian authorities have not yet released further evidence. On April 25, Indian security forces demolished the homes of two suspected militants, and sporadic exchanges of gunfire were reported along the Line of Control, despite a ceasefire agreement that has been in place between the two countries since 2021.

By Tamilla Hasanova