In a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Brigadier General Majid Ebn al-Reza expressed condolences over the deaths of a number of Pakistani army officers and soldiers in a helicopter crash and thanked the Pakistani government and armed forces for their constructive positions in support of Iran.
Referring to the Pakistani defense minister’s positions on various occasions, particularly at the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Ebn al-Reza appreciated Islamabad’s support in condemning aggression against Iran and said the Iranian government and nation would never forget the solidarity and support of their friends during difficult times.
The Iranian minister also thanked the government, people and senior military officials of Pakistan for their declarations of solidarity and moral support regarding the war and aggression against Iran, describing Pakistan as a friendly and brotherly country with an important role in regional developments.
He further praised the efforts of Pakistan’s government and armed forces in the negotiation process and the signing of recent understandings, while emphasizing that despite the signing of the memorandum of understanding, Iran’s Armed Forces have never trusted an unreliable enemy and would deliver a heavy and regrettable response if any provisions of the agreement are violated.
Pointing to the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, Ebn al-Reza commended Pakistan’s positions on regional developments and support for the Palestinian people, saying the survival of the Israeli regime depends on creating tensions and crises in the region and that Islamic countries should act in unity to stop that trend.
The caretaker defense minister also reiterated Iran’s proposal to establish a “regional security belt of the Islamic world” with the participation of countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and other Muslim states, and announced Tehran’s readiness to hold consultations with regional countries on the initiative.
For his part, Pakistan’s defense minister praised the Iranian nation’s resistance against aggression and said the Iranian people and Armed Forces had stood firmly against attacks with full faith and determination, adding that the nature and quality of this resistance would be recorded in history.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif described relations between Iran and Pakistan as brotherly and said the people of Pakistan have fraternal feelings toward Iran, always pray for the Iranian nation and take pride in its resistance and steadfastness.
Welcoming Iran’s proposal, the Pakistani minister voiced hope that after stabilization of regional conditions, a new chapter in bilateral cooperation would begin to pursue regional security arrangements among Islamic countries aimed at confronting Israeli aggression and excessive ambitions and establishing lasting peace and stability.
He also referred to Israeli actions against the people of Gaza and described the regime as a cancerous tumor in the region, saying its crimes over the past three years have exceeded those committed elsewhere around the world.