Iran condemned the action and called on Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to “protest and request clarification from the Pakistani government,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.
Iran’s ministry described Pakistan’s attacks as “disproportionate and unacceptable”, and said Iran expected Pakistan “to comply with its obligations in preventing the establishment of bases and armed terrorist groups in Pakistan”.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian has defended Iran’s strikes in Pakistan as a response to recent deadly attacks on security forces by the jihadist group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice).
On Thursday, his ministry underlined that Iran understands that Pakistan’s “friendly and brotherly government is separate from armed terrorists”.
“Iran always adheres to its neighborly policy and does not allow its enemies and terrorist allies to break these relations,” it said.
Jaysh al-Adl, formed in 2012, has carried out several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.
Pakistan strongly reprimanded Iran over the attacks, recalled its ambassador from Tehran and barred Iran’s envoy from returning to Islamabad.
China offered to mediate between the neighbours, both close economic partners of Beijing.
The White House urged Iran and Pakistan to avoid escalation, with US President Joe Biden saying the shootings showed Iran is “not particularly liked in the region”.
The European Union expressed concern at “the spate of violence in the Middle East and beyond”.