Amid the Israeli occupation’s unprovoked aggression and massacre campaign against Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has put its full weight behind its neighbour and called for Muslim unity against the Zionist regime. "We stand behind Iran and will support them at every international forum to protect their interest," said Pakistani Defense Minister Khwaja Asif recently. Here is why Pakistan’s timely support for Iran merits significance.

First, Islamabad’s common-ground scores home the imperative of a joint strategy among scores of Muslim countries against "Israel". A dearth of such an approach has only empowered the Zionist regime to step up regional aggression, spanning Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. Pakistan, which has backed its right to self-defense in the face of India’s unprovoked aggression in May, understands the value of upholding the UN Charter and offering legitimate retribution for the lives of scores of civilians and other martyred personnel. The support of Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state with a geographically strategic position near Iran, also sends a powerful signal to the outside world that Israeli actions carry the risk of terrorism spillovers and that vigilance against Zionist overreach needs to be front and center of policy considerations.

That momentum should inspire scores of Muslim-majority states and their counterparts in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to unify ranks against "Israel’s" annihilation campaign.  This is all the more important, considering that the Israeli rampage risks pushing the Middle East to the cusp of a protracted, brutal war. Islamabad’s appeal to the OIC is tangible proof that "Israel", acting with impunity against the sovereignty of a key country in the region, is not above the law and is proposing an annihilation campaign that runs counter to regional peace prospects. Look no further than the condemnable remarks of Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who has threatened civilians in Tehran that they will “pay the price.” These intimidation tactics, coupled with "Israel’s" history of holding even a modicum of regional stability hostage, lend credence to Pakistan’s view that Muslim states shouldn’t spare a breath in severing ties with the Zionist regime.   

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As a responsible nuclear-armed state, Islamabad also sees through "Israel’s" notorious bid to wage terrorism on Iranian soil and the risk posed by "Israel’s" nuclear capabilities. Iran and Pakistan are united in their view of Western duplicity on human rights and their indefensible endorsement of Israeli belligerence. Pakistan’s appeal to Western capitals that their endorsement of "Israel" risks unspeakable consequences for the region, thus carries significant merit, as many have aided Zionist aggression in Gaza. The result is a warmongering occupation entity that considers it its unilateral imperative to bomb sites, decimate critical infrastructure, and make destructive threats against Iran, all the while wanting the world to resist Tehran’s absolute right to respond in self-defense.

Pakistan’s timely support drills a hole in "Israel’s" global propaganda campaign because constant attacks against Iran are tantamount to attacks against the core of the Muslim world. After all, the notorious occupation pretexts and rationales that prepared the ground for Israeli attacks are born out of a decades-old aversion to the stability, sanctity, and sovereignty of Iran. "Israel" has made no secret of martyring legions of Muslims, leveraging US support to focus “terrorism” on legitimate resistance forces, and still wants a status quo of oppression and brutality to emerge as the new normal. Pakistan, which has borne the brunt of decades of US-led war on terror in its own backyard, understands the value of countless civilian and military losses and is home to a very active anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist population, one that can help fuel pro-Iranian activism on the world stage.

At the official level, Pakistan is uniquely positioned to underscore "Israel’s" status as an outlier in any international nuclear discipline and can send early warnings to Western capitals that the real risk of nuclear escalation or protracted warfare stems from "Israel". “[There is an] imperative need to halt Israeli hostilities against Iran, which come during a time of increasing tension in the Middle East, and to work toward de-escalation, to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and restoration of calm,” read a joint statement between Pakistan and 19 other countries recently.

Moreover, Pakistan’s border with Iran increases its stakes to muster defenses and deliver a more proactive stance against any Israeli adventurism on Pakistani soil. "Israel’s" brutal war crimes in Gaza, its violation of international humanitarian law, and its continued genocidal atrocities have not escaped the Pakistani public or its policymaking circles by the slightest measure. This indicates an uncompromisingly committed approach to defending Iran in the face of the same Zionist entity’s terror campaign. Defense Minister Asif is also correct to argue that the real focus of attention for Western states should be conflicts generated by "Israel", prompting a rethink of the condemnable “self-defense” narrative that select Western states invoke to shield the occupation.

Thus understood, with explicit solidarity, appeal to nuclear risks, and an uncompromisingly committed approach to Tehran’s sovereignty, Pakistan’s support forms a solid bridge with its neighbor to expose "Israel" for the belligerent regional aggressor that it really is.