​​​​​​​Additional Footage claimed to show the Impact of at least 4 Ballistic Missiles launched by the Iranian-Backed Groups towards the U.S. Consulate and International Airport within the City of Erbil in Northern Iraq.

Reference post #841 and the lost SEALs…

On 11 January 🇺🇸US Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller executed a complex boarding of a dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters supplying 🇮🇷Iranian-made weapons to the Houthis.

Items sized included propulsion, guidance and warhead components for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles.

Iran missle/drone attacks Pakistan site
 

Pakistan condemns attack by Iran that kills 2 children | AP News

Iran attacks alleged militant bases in Pakistan; Islamabad says ‘unprovoked’ strikes kill 2 children

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/defaul...bf4f1aef8b9430
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)

BY JON GAMBRELL AND MUNIR AHMED | Updated 2:04 PM MST, January 16, 2024

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran launched attacks Tuesday in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl, potentially further raising tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pakistan said the strikes killed two children and wounded three others in an assault it described as an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace.

Confusion followed the announcement from Iran as state media reports on it soon disappeared. However, the attack inside of nuclear-armed Pakistan by Iran threatens the relations between the two countries, which long have eyed each other with suspicion while maintaining diplomatic relations.

The attack also follows Iranian strikes on Iraq and Syria less than a day earlier, as Tehran lashes out following a dual suicide bombing this month claimed by the Sunni militant group Islamic State that killed over 90 people.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency and state television had said that missiles and drones were used in the strikes in Pakistan. Press TV, the English-language arm of Iranian state television, attributed the attack to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Jaish al-Adl, or the “Army of Justice,” is a Sunni militant group founded in 2012 which largely operates across the border in Pakistan. The militants have claimed bombings and kidnapped Iranian border police in the past.

Iran has fought in border areas against the militants, but a missile-and-drone attack on Pakistan is unprecedented for Iran. Iranian reports described the strikes as happening in the mountains of Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded rebuke of the strikes.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran which resulted in death of two innocent children while injuring three girls,” the statement read. “This violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences.”[/h2]

Iran just bombed Pakistan, a nuclear state. That’s the third country Iran has bombed in the past 24 hours.…

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....bc97d14820.png

How do we know it wasn't provoked?
Pakistan isn't exactly a beacon of democracy and has been known to export/harbour some nasty things in the past.

According to U.S. defense officials, renewed strikes were carried out this morning targeting at least 4 Anti-Ship ASM batteries in western Yemen.

The strikes were in response to continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

According to Iranian sources, the 4 missiles launched by the IRGC towards ISIS Positions near the Aleppo in Syria last night, were their first use of the “Kheibar Shekan” IRBM.

The “Kheibar Shekan” is a 3rd generation solid fuel IRBM with a range of over 900 Miles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kheibar_Shekan

Because Iran isn't bitching about it?

What Iran is doing seems to me a lot like the Tomahawk strikes President Clinton ordered into Afghanistan back in about 1998 which targeted a known terrorist group, Al Qaeda, who had blown up two American Embassies in Africa: Kenya and Tanzania. (It blew some stuff and people up but sadly didn't get the leadership).

The big difference to me is that Iran is taking on a greater risk in so doing because, unlike Afghanistan then ...
1. Pakistan, for all of their faults, is an organized nation with a standing military complete with modern hardware.
2. Pakistan has nukes.
3. Pakistan has a border with Iran.

Speculation follows:
Pakistan's government may not give a hoot about certain parties being attacked by Iran's missiles, as Pakistan is running into their own problems with terrorist groups of late. With that considered, Pakistan's government must be seen to be outraged by Iran launching missiles into their territory and blowing stuff and people up.
Can't blame Pakistan for that.
(I'd love to be a party to whatever back channel conversation is going on at the moment between Iranian and Pakistani officials. I don't doubt that these are interesting conversations).

It's a nasty neighborhood. Israel and the US have the habit of striking targets in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Pakistan. Turkiye strikes targets in Syria and Iraq. Iran and the Houthis have joined the party.

The Afghans and the Iranians also have border/ terrorist issues - but then everyone has in that part of the world

IRGC general just got himself deaded on the Iran / Pakistan border

It's a tough business that he's in.
Coincidence or a payback? Would be interesting to find out.

Video of TV report.​​​​​​​Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announces:

“Pakistan reserves the right to respond to the Iranian attacks.”

Theres new reports that Pakistan has struck BLF(Balouchastan liberation force) targets in iran

They are still only telegrams or a unknown twitters reporting

And confirmed

Sky reporting that Pakistan has:

• Withdrawn its ambassador in Teheran
• Expelled the Iranian ambassador
• conducted retaliatory strikes across the border in Iran.

The ball now being back in Iran”s court…..

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...on-2024-01-17/

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/paki...tehran-4879977

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/...nse-to-bombing

Meanwhile, the USA has conducted a series of Tomahawk missile attacks against 14 Houthi sites where missiles were identified as being prepared for launch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68014127

https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-...ile-launchers/

The Pakistan business shows the dangers of Iran's scheme to use proxies - you can't always control them and the risk is that you get hit. And Pakistan are experts at stirring up trouble across borders as well - they kept the Taliban pot simmering for years - and they can easily do the same thing to the Iranians

Content amended for brevity and clarity.
The leadership within CENTCOM, as well as other Defense Officials have reportedly been urging the White House to allow them to go “gloves-off” in order to halt any further threat by the Houthi to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

According to officials, several options have been presented to President Biden which he has continually denied, these include:

• A larger-scale air campaign, involving the Air Force, over western Yemen to destroy any Houthi offensive capability,
• An amphibious operation against several ports, including Hodeidah, in western Yemen.
• Limited strikes on targets within Iran to “send a message” about further aid and support to the Houthis.