Pakistan Iran strikes: US avoids question on consultation with Washington before retaliatory strikes on Iran

The US on Thursday refused to answer a question regarding Iraq or Pakistan consulting Washington prior to launching retaliatory strikes on Iran, which killed at least nine people, most of them women and children, in Sistan-Baluchistan province.

During a regular press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller was asked if there was any diplomatic engagement between the US and either Iraq or Pakistan, seeking suggestions on whether to counter the strikes by Iran.

“I do not have any specific conversations to read out,” Matthew Miller responded.

Miller was then asked if the US expects to have any conversation going ahead to contain the Middle East crisis, which has added to the already tense global scenario owing to the Israel-Hamas war.

“I do not want to speak on what may or may not happen,” Miller reiterated.

Matthew Miller further said the US always want to see “peace and security maintained in the region (referring to Middle East)” that has been the “focus of our diplomatic efforts since October 7 (referring to Hamas’s attack on Israel)”.

On tension between Iran and Pakistan, the US State Department spokesperson said that it’s in no one’s interest if the conflict gets escalatated, “including Iran’s”.