Iran on Friday offered to mediate between India and Pakistan to ease growing hostilities in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. On the same day, Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke separately with his counterparts in New Delhi and Islamabad amid fears of military escalation in the region.
“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbors, we consider them our foremost priority,” Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X, offering Tehran’s “good offices” to “forge greater understanding at this difficult time.”
Quoting Persian poet Saadi, Araghchi added, “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.”
The Iranian foreign ministry had earlier “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the April 23 attack in Pahalgam, calling it a “grave crime” and urged global coordination to combat terrorism. Iran extended condolences to India and stressed the need to bring perpetrators and sponsors of such acts to justice.
Saudi Arabia too stepped in diplomatically as tensions flared. “Had a telecon with Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan of Saudi Arabia. Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its cross-border linkages,” external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on X.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed that Prince Faisal also called Pakistani foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who briefed him on decisions by the National Security Committee following what Islamabad described as “unilateral” Indian actions. Dar “cautioned” against further escalatory steps and pledged that Pakistan would “respond firmly to any aggression.”
India had earlier announced a slew of punitive steps against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting the Attari border crossing, and downgrading diplomatic ties. Pakistan retaliated by closing its airspace to Indian carriers and halting all trade, including indirect routes. Islamabad also warned that any move to block water flows would be treated as an “act of war.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Bihar’s Madhubani on Thursday, vowed strong action against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam strike. “Friends, today from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers,” he said. “We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished.”