From escalation to de-escala­tion and mutually agreeing to work together to address issues of concern, Iran and Pakistan swiftly covered the entire crisis cycle within a few days. While Ira­nian strikes raised questions about the decision-making mechanism in Tehran and the presence of competing power centers, Pakistan act­ed maturely and as a respon­sible state throughout this pe­riod. It signaled that, despite facing several unprecedented internal and external challenges, it is fully capable, ready, and willing to safeguard and, if need be, defend its territorial integri­ty and sovereignty.

On January 16, 2024, Iran target­ed what it claimed were Jaish-al-Adil camps in Panjgur, Balochistan, re­sulting in the tragic death of two chil­dren. Reacting to this sudden and un­provoked attack, Islamabad stated that this attack was not only a breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty but also an “egregious violation of internation­al law and the spirit of bilateral rela­tions” between Pakistan and Iran. It also downgraded its diplomatic rela­tions with Tehran by recalling its am­bassador and expelling the Iranian en­voy in Islamabad. On January 18, 2024, Pakistan in an intelligence-based oper­ation, Marg Bar Sarmachar, undertook a series of “highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” against the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) camps at seven locations inside Iran. In an........

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