Mideast countries call for restraint following India-Pakistan escalation

8/5/2025 6:11

Iran, Egypt, Algeria, and T羹rkiye on Wednesday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to de-escalate their simmering tensions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday voiced grave concern over the recent escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. He reaffirmed Iran's principled stance on avoiding the use of force in international relations and respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Baghaei urged the two sides -- both longtime friends of Iran -- to pursue de-escalation through self-restraint and to prevent external actors, particularly Israel, from exploiting the situation to inflame further tensions.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry emphasized in a statement the importance of exerting all efforts to achieve calm and defusing the crisis, warning against further escalation.

Egypt calls on India and Pakistan to exercise the highest degree of self-restraint and promote dialogue through diplomatic channels.

It also reiterated the importance of resorting to peaceful solutions that fulfill the aspirations of both nations, fostering calm and stability.

In a statement, Algeria's Foreign Ministry expressed "deep regret and grave concern over the tragic clashes between India and Pakistan," emphasizing that the overnight hostilities between Tuesday and Wednesday posed "serious risks to peace and security across the entire region."

It urged both sides to "exercise restraint, remain calm, and act responsibly to revive dialogue."

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf restated this call in phone discussions with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts, according to the statement.

Also condemning India's overnight attacks on Pakistan and its targeting of civilians, T羹rkiye's Foreign Ministry warned that the "provocative" steps could create "a risk of an all-out war."

The ministry said T羹rkiye is following the developments "with concern" and called on both parties to act with "common sense" and avoid "unilateral actions."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later held a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing T羹rkiye's readiness to "do its utmost to prevent further escalation of tensions" between the two sides.

Erdogan expressed T羹rkiye's solidarity with Pakistan, saying his country backs Pakistan's "calm and measured approach" in addressing the conflict, read a post by the Turkish Communications Directorate on social media platform X.

At least 26 people, including women and children, were killed and 46 others injured when India attacked civilian settlements in six areas of Pakistan on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Pakistani army's media wing said.