In a statement on Sunday, Esmaeil Baqaei emphasized the necessity of mutual respect for the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging both sides to immediately begin talks aimed at reducing tensions and resolving disputes through diplomatic means.
The spokesperson noted that Iran attaches great importance to preserving peace and stability in its surrounding region and declared Tehran’s readiness to assist in any way possible to help ease tensions between the two Muslim neighbors.
The Taliban and Pakistani forces have exchanged fire across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, as tensions escalate following an air strike on the Afghan capital, Kabul, earlier this week.
Enayatullah Khwarizmi, the spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said late on Saturday that Taliban forces had carried out “successful retaliatory” attacks against Pakistani soldiers in response to the neighboring country’s “repeated violations” of, and air strikes on, Afghan territory.
Pakistani Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi called the Afghan attacks “unprovoked” and said that Pakistani forces were responding “with a stone for every brick”.
The fighting comes days after explosions rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, in an air strike that the Taliban blamed on Pakistan.
Islamabad did not claim responsibility for Thursday’s attacks.