Iran-Pakistan try to patch things up with Salami visit - analysis

Iran’s Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) met with Pakistan Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir, chief of Pakistan's army in Tehran on Saturday afternoon.

The meeting is important because the area of southeastern Iran that borders Pakistan has often seen protests and rebellion. This includes the Baloch minority in Iran and Pakistan who are suppressed by both countries. 

The countries are now discussing how they can coordinate on security and expand engagement. The countries don’t always have amicable or warm relations.

Cooperation on national security

Pakistan has many problems at home, such as tensions with its former leader Imran Khan, terror and extremist threats. Nevertheless Salami has said “we consider Pakistan's security as our security and by expanding interactions, cooperation and joint actions, we will end the existence of terrorist groups and establish stable security in the shared border areas.” 

Now Iran wants to coordinate more with Pakistan. This comes as Iran seeks to pivot to the East and work with China. Iran’s president also went to Africa last week and has recently been to South America.

Pakistan has often worked closely with China. Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia all have interests in Afghanistan where they supported the US leaving in 2021. They don’t always agree but they increasingly want to work together against the US-led world order that emerged after 1990. 

Iran’s pro-regime Mehr News and Tasnim and Fars News all highlighted the Salami meeting. “Gen. Salami pointed to cases of insecurity and clashes on the shared borders between Iran and Pakistan as parts of the dangerous plots designed by enemies of the countries with the aim of creating bloody divisions between Muslims, adding that with a joint effort, the firm will and strategy, the two nations can overcome the sinister strategy,”

Mehr news said. “The Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Iran and emphasized the importance of increasing defense and security interactions between the two countries.”

Pakistan praised Qasem Soleimani during the visit and both officers praised the importance of Islam in their relations. The remarks by Pakistan clearly illustrate how they tend to be anti-western and prefer relations with countries like Iran.