Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its support during the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Mousavi conveyed his thanks during a phone call with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Asim Munir.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Mousavi acknowledged Pakistan’s principled stance and solidarity with Iran throughout the conflict, which Iran characterized as an unprovoked act of aggression by Israel with the backing of Western allies. He noted significant Iranian casualties, including the loss of senior commanders, but asserted that Iran’s decisive retaliatory strikes forced Israel to seek a ceasefire.

Mousavi accused the United States of direct participation in the conflict and of mobilizing its military resources to shield Israel from Iranian missile and drone attacks. He also criticized several Western countries for providing material and verbal support to Israel.

The conflict began on June 13th when Israel launched airstrikes in Iran, targeting military commanders and scientists linked to the country’s nuclear program. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. The fighting disrupted ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, which subsequently joined the conflict with bunker-busting strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The conflict has also strained relations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with Iran rejecting IAEA requests to inspect damaged nuclear sites and suspending cooperation with the agency.