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ISLAMABAD: Iran&rsquo;s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has offered to help ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling for stronger ties as cross-border conflict continues and Islamabad pauses its military campaign during Eid. In a Nowruz message marking the Persian New Year, Khamenei, who assumed leadership after the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike, urged both countries to improve relations and avoid divisions. &ldquo;I would like to urge that our two brotherly countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, establish better relations with each other&hellip; and for my part, I am ready to take the necessary steps,&rdquo; he said. The remarks come as Pakistan&rsquo;s cross-border military campaign, Operation Ghazab lil Haq, remains paused following weeks of fighting triggered by sustained cross-border terrorist attacks. Islamabad has said the operation targets terrorist infrastructure, including camps, logistics hubs, and ammunition depots used for attacks against civilians and security forces. Earlier this week, Pakistan announced a temporary Eid pause in the operation, describing it as a goodwill gesture whilst warning that military action would resume if further attacks occur. Khamenei&rsquo;s message places the Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions within a broader regional crisis, as the Middle East faces escalating conflict following recent strikes and retaliatory actions involving Iran and its adversaries. In his address, the Iranian leader emphasized unity among Muslim countries and warned against division during a period of heightened geopolitical strain. &ldquo;Beyond the element of neighborliness, we recognize&hellip; shared devotion to Islam&hellip; and common strategic interests,&rdquo; he said. He also cautioned against misinformation and psychological warfare during conflict, urging media and the public to remain vigilant. Khamenei&rsquo;s outreach comes as Pakistan balances ongoing military operations with diplomatic efforts, signaling a potential opening for regional mediation amid escalating tensions.

A mourner holds a picture depicting Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei during the funeral of Iran's security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who commands Basij forces, in Tehran on

Foreign Affairs

In a Nowruz message, Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei offers to help ease Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, urging closer ties as cross-border conflict pauses during Eid, while warning against division amid wider regional instability and ongoing security challenges.

Iran supreme leader offers to mediate Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions

ISLAMABAD: Relations between China and Japan have deteriorated dramatically in the past week after Japan issued one of its strongest warnings yet regarding a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. China slammed on Monday Japan&#39;s decision to push ahead with a planned deployment of missiles on an island near Taiwan, according to the AFP. Its foreign ministry said Japan&#39;s missile deployment was a &quot;deliberate attempt to create regional tension and provoke military confrontation.&quot; Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had said that any attack on Taiwan could constitute a &ldquo;survival-threatening situation&rdquo; for Japan, a designation under its security laws that could allow limited collective self-defence in support of allies. The statement reflects growing concern in Tokyo over regional stability and the security of sea routes near Okinawa. China condemned the remarks, accusing Japan of interfering in its internal affairs. The Chinese foreign ministry said Tokyo was violating the One-China principle and &ldquo;sending the wrong signal&rdquo; to what it calls &ldquo;separatist forces&rdquo; in Taiwan. Beijing also lodged a diplomatic protest with officials from Japan&rsquo;s Embassy in Beijing. In parallel, China expanded its coast guard and maritime militia presence near the Senkaku Islands, a territory claimed by China but administered by Japan. These patrols have become increasingly regular and assertive, raising tensions in already contested waters. Background: China and Taiwan China and Taiwan have operated under separate governments since 1949, after the Chinese Civil War, when the Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan and the Communist Party founded the People&rsquo;s Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland. The PRC insists that Taiwan is part of &ldquo;one China&rdquo; and maintains that the Beijing government is the sole legitimate representative. Official PRC sources cite UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to argue that Taiwan has no independent status in the UN system. At the same time, Taiwan maintains its own democratic government, military, and domestic policies. The feud reaches the United Nations&nbsp;China&#39;s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, wrote in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres on Friday that &ldquo;if Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression.&rdquo; China maintains that the strait dividing mainland China from self-governing Taiwan is part of its territory. Economic pressure adds to the strainOn November 14, China issued a no-travel advisory for Japan, followed by recommendations that students reconsider enrolling in Japanese universities. Shares in Japanese tourism and retail firms fell sharply after Beijing discouraged its citizens from visiting Japan. Three Chinese airlines offered free cancellations or refunds for flights to Japan scheduled for November 15. China also suspended imports of Japanese seafood. This follows a partial easing earlier in 2025, when China resumed seafood imports from some Japanese regions, subject to strict documentation requirements. Beyond trade and tourism, two Japanese animated films scheduled for release in Chinese theaters were postponed indefinitely. State media reported that the delays were part of Beijing&rsquo;s countermeasures.&nbsp;At a routine press conference this week, He Yongqian, a spokesperson for China&rsquo;s commerce ministry, stated that PM Takaichi&#39;s remarks had &ldquo;severely damaged&rdquo; economic relations between the two nations. Where does Taiwan stand?Taiwan has maintained a measured stance amid escalating tensions while continuing to strengthen its defense posture. Authorities have expanded air and maritime surveillance, conducted regular readiness exercises, and developed missile defence and early warning capabilities. Taiwanese officials say they are closely monitoring regional developments, particularly as Chinese aircraft and ships operate near the island. Taiwan lifts restrictions on JapanAccording to AFP, Taiwan lifted all restrictions on Japanese food imports on Nov. 21&nbsp;in a show of support for Tokyo. Previously, the Taipei government had banned food imports from five Japanese regions around the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Taiwan&#39;s Food and Drug Administration said&nbsp;that &ldquo;Japanese food safety management measures return to normal,&rdquo; effective immediately. What is happening now?Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Nov. 21 that she wants &ldquo;constructive&rdquo; ties with China and that Japan&rsquo;s stance on Taiwan remains &ldquo;unchanged&rdquo; amid the dispute with Beijing. &ldquo;At the end of last month, President Xi [Jinping] and I confirmed the broad direction of comprehensively advancing our strategic, mutually beneficial relationship and building a constructive and stable relationship,&rdquo; Takaichi told reporters. &ldquo;The government&rsquo;s position remains unchanged&rdquo; on Taiwan, she added. China, however, has signaled a cooling of diplomatic engagement. Premier Li Qiang will not meet one-on-one with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi on the sidelines of the next G20 Summit, according to China&rsquo;s foreign ministry. &ldquo;A meeting with the Japanese leader is not on Premier Li Qiang&#39;s agenda,&rdquo; Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said last week in Beijing at a regular news briefing.

Central Asia

China

China-Japan tensions have escalated after Tokyo warned that an attack on Taiwan could trigger collective self-defence. Beijing responded with diplomatic protests, military activity, and economic pressure; Taiwan has strengthened its defence and backs Japan, as high-level China-Japan diplomacy stalls.

Articles tagged with "Tensions"

Iran supreme leader offers to mediate Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions

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