Iran’s Strikes Part of a Continuum

Musharraf Zaidi

23 January 2024

Published in: The News

Pak-Iran dance about which terrorist group is in other’s territory has been long and enduring. Why Iran escalated it from manageable disagreements to a full-blown series of missile strikes on Jan 16, 2024 remains, broadly, a mystery. Unlike in any of other theatres, however, Pak responded to Iranian provocation.

Not with press statements or with over-top rhetoric , for now, it is likely that drama is over. But Iran may have already achieved what it sought to: demonstration of its appetite for a wider, much more dangerous series of escalations. And this message was not meant for Pak. It was directed at West and its allies.

On Jan 18, 2024, Pak neither hid nor ran. It responded to Iran. This same resolve and discipline within mil and throughout society at large – will be required to deal with storms that await Pak in 2024.

Pak can ill afford disunity and disappointment of a spoilt or further delayed election. A lot of domestic reconciliation will be required on Feb 9. Without changes Pak needs to make at home, it will not be able to continue to make changes it needs to make abroad to settle its borders and signal to its neighbors.