Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described Zionism as a "threat to humanity," alleging that it has played a central role in fuelling instability across the Muslim world. In a post on social media, he claimed that since the creation of Israel on Palestinian territory, major conflicts impacting Islamic nations have carried the "direct or indirect imprint" of Zionist ideology.
Referring to the escalating hostilities involving Iran, Asif warned that the crisis poses risks to Pakistan's own security. He underlined Islamabad's nuclear capability as a deterrent against external threats and asserted that the current war had been "imposed" on Tehran, despite what he characterised as Iran's openness to negotiating with the United States.
Tensions spilled onto the streets of Pakistan following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Protests broke out in several cities, with demonstrators attempting to march toward the US Consulate in Karachi and other diplomatic compounds. Clashes erupted as security forces intervened to prevent breaches. Authorities said at least 22 people were killed and more than 120 injured as riot police used tear gas, batons and, in some instances, gunfire to disperse crowds.
The unrest extended to cities such as Lahore and Islamabad, where security was tightened around foreign missions to forestall further violence.
Meanwhile, loud explosions were reported in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, and in Doha, Qatar, amid retaliatory exchanges linked to the widening regional conflict. Air-raid sirens sounded in parts of Manama as tensions escalated across the Gulf.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that its air force conducted overnight strikes targeting sites in Tehran, including the presidential office and the Supreme National Security Council complex. According to the military, the strikes were aimed at facilities within what it described as the Iranian leadership's compound.
Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed, based on satellite imagery, damage to entrance structures at Iran's underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. The agency clarified that no radiological consequences are expected and that no additional impact has been detected at the facility beyond earlier reported damage.
(With inputs from IANS)
