US-Iran tensions: Pakistan says closely observing situation in region

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that his country was closely observing the situation closely. Pakistan will formulate a strategy keeping in view the national interest, he said. Expressing concern over the situation Qureshi however said that it will not join any camp. “This is a very sensitive issue. We are closely monitoring the situation. As situation evolves, we are trying to develop a strategy that does not hurt our interests and this region does not get destabilised,” he said.

Separately, Qureshi told the National Assembly panel that the US had not imposed any visa restrictions on Pakistan.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned Iran against any misadventure. "We’ll see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump told reporters at his Oval Office of the White House. He was responding to questions on US military build-up against Iran and if he was at war with Tehran. 

“I’m hearing little stories about Iran. If they do anything, they will suffer greatly. We’ll see what happens with Iran,” Trump said, as his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stopped in Brussels to brief NATO allies on the latest developments with regard to Iran.

This was however refuted by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday and said that “there is not going to be any war” with the United States. Tensions between the Islamic republic and the United States was a test of resolve rather than a military encounter, he said.  “This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war. They know it will not be in their interest,” he said, quoted on the Khamenei.ir website. Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump of being uninformed about the situation in Iran.

“The definite decision of the Iranian nation is to resist against America,” Khamenei said, adding that “in this showdown America will be forced to retreat... because our resolve is stronger.” The supreme leader said negotiating with the US was “poison” because the Americans wanted to take away Iran’s strong points such as its missiles or its “strategic depth” in the region.