Pakistan condemns Trump's bombing of Iran — a day after nominating him for Peace Prize

Tariq Butt, Gulf Today Correspondent / Reuters

Pakistan condemned on Sunday the strikes ordered on its neighbour Iran by Donald Trump, a day after Islamabad had said it would nominate the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pakistan on Sunday said Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities violated international law and that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Iran crisis.

"The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Shiite activists hold placards to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi on Sunday. AFP

Also on Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif telephoned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and "conveyed Pakistan's condemnation of the U.S. attacks," a statement from the Pakistani leader said.

Pakistan's information minister and the foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the apparent contradiction in the country's positions over the weekend.

In Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, thousands marched in protest against the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Shiites hold portraits of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi. AFP

A large American flag with a picture of Trump on it was placed on the road for demonstrators to walk over. The protesters shouted out chants against America, Israel and Pakistan's regional enemy India.

Pakistan on Saturday said it was nominating Trump as "a genuine peacemaker" for his role in bringing a four-day conflict with India to an end last month. It said he had "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship."

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has formally sent a letter of recommendation to the Nobel Committee in Norway, nominating US President Donald Trump for the Nobel peace prize.

Officials said the letter cited Trump's role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India earlier this year. The move recognises Trump's efforts in bringing about a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and for highlighting the Kashmir dispute on the international stage.

The development comes after the government's announcement, made earlier on social media, of its decision to formally nominate Trump for the world's most prestigious peace award.

Pakistani nationals who were residing in Iran, arrive with their belongings in Quetta. AFP

In a statement issued on X, the federal government said that the international community had witnessed "unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression," which it described as a "grave violation" of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The attack, according to the statement, resulted in the "tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly."

In response, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos - a "measured, resolute, and precise military" countermeasure. The operation, Pakistan stressed, was executed to re-establish deterrence and defend its territorial integrity while "consciously avoiding civilian harm."

Amid the heightened tensions, the statement noted that President Trump "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship" by engaging diplomatically with both Islamabad and New Delhi. This effort, it added, helped de-escalate the rapidly worsening situation, secured a ceasefire, and prevented a wider regional conflict.

The government hailed Trump's actions as those of a "genuine peacemaker" with a firm commitment to resolving conflict through dialogue.