Iran, Pakistan Agree to Improve Security Ties
The Facts
Following a meeting between Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abbollahian in Islamabad on Monday, the two nations vowed to strengthen their relations and security cooperation.
The move follows a recent exchange of missile strikes between the two countries earlier this month that reportedly killed at least 11.
The Spin
Narrative A
The volatile Middle East region is relieved to learn that Pakistan and Iran have reached a security agreement, as announced by Islamabad on Monday. The two neighboring nations have shown restraint and lowered tensions, resulting in a successful agreement to address both sides' security concerns. Hopefully, Tehran will be able to show similar restraint in other parts of the region.
Narrative B
While this apparent turnaround to cordiality is a welcome relief following this month's strikes, there are doubts about whether it will actually achieve anything meaningful: The meeting immediately followed the murder of nine Pakistanis on Iranian territory in an attack that both nations have swept under the rug. It seems Islamabad and Tehran are only committed to honoring their policy of ignoring the threat of militant groups and neglecting the socio-economic conditions that have primed the breeding ground for terrorism.
