Daily Times

The attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz is a reminder of festering tensions in the Middle East. Quite predictably, top Iranian officials have blamed the United States (US) and its allies in the Gulf, accusing them of backing the al-Ahvaziya militant group, which has claimed responsibility for the assault which resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including women and children.

It goes without saying that this tragedy will cause increased diplomatic strain in the already troubled Middle East. President Hassan Rouhani has vowed to deliver a “crushing response”. Whether this means the Iranian regime intends to crackdown on separatists and dissidents in the troubled but energy-rich Khuzestan province, or respond against US allies in the region with non-state actors of its own, is anybody’s guess.

Meanwhile, Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, advisor to Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, has added to the tensions by tweeting that the attack was “not a terrorist incident”, since it was the Iranian military which was targeted. Not only is this a clearly biased statement, it also ignores the fact that the four attackers blatantly fired automatic weapons on a civilian crowd.

It should not be forgotten that in May last year, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) had vowed to take the fight between the two regional powers “inside Iran”. Thus, one can hardly blame the Iranian regime for its kneejerk response. One would hope that the US, arguably the most influential player in the region, would try to prevent escalation. But with Donald Trump in the Whitehouse, this will be asking for too much.

For Pakistan, the attack comes at an inopportune time. Just this past Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that Pakistan would not allow anyone to attack Saudi Arabia. Such statements place Pakistan squarely in the Saudi camp. Even though our Foreign Office has released an official statement condemning the incident, the PM must also release a statement confirming Islamabad’s cordial relations with Tehran. We must remain neutral in the Middle Eastern conflict for any partisan position will lead to greater sectarian violence within Pakistan.  *

Published in Daily Times, September 24^th 2018.