“A country without strong Air Force is at the mercy of any aggressor” (Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, 1948)

On Friday, 13th June, 2025, Israel made a direct attack on Iran under the title of ‘Operation Rising Lion’. A dozen Israeli war planes penetrated the Iranian airspace and showered the military and nuclear facilities in various regions like Tehran, Qum, Tabriz, Shiraz, Hamadan, etc. Operation Rising Lion is a conglomeration of covert and overt missions carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and its intelligence wing, Mossad.

Pakistan is on Iran’s side. Silence is no longer an option.

The primary goal behind this offense was to fully destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Since President Donald Trump has begun nuclear negotiations with Iran, Israel has believed right from the first day that this will just give the Iranian regime more time to construct a nuclear bomb. Israel has the courage of a direct assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently announced that despite diplomatic talks, Iran is persistently disregarding international norms and laws with respect to uranium enrichment.

In this way, Israel launched an extremely sophisticated operation under which Mossad operatives were to work deep within Iran for the sole purpose of destroying Iran’s defense mechanism, spreading a false information campaign, and supplying intelligence of Iran’s top military and nuclear officials. Consequently, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) penetrated into Iranian territory unchallenged and effectively bombed uranium enrichment plants in Iran, such as Natanz, Shiraz, etc.

Israel has also targeted a number of military bases in Iran and effectively assassinated three senior military leaders of the IRGC, such as Commander in Chief Hossein Salami, Commander Ghulam Ali Rashid, and Chief of Staff Muhammad Bagheri. About six Iranian nuclear scientists were also killed in this operation.

A few weeks ago, before the attack, COAS Asim Munir and PM of Pakistan, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif, visited Iran at a high level. They met Iran’s supreme leader, Syed Ali Khamenei, and IRGC chiefs and commanders. During a press conference, PM Sharif clearly stated that Pakistan is in favor of Iran’s right to possess a nuclear program for civilian use. This announcement, at a time when US-Iran talks were going on and President Trump was continuously urging Iran to drop its nuclear program, surprised the global community and once again reaffirms Pak-Iran’s brotherly ties.

Israel is targeting Yemen, Iran, and Palestine. If the Islamic world doesn’t unify now, we all will meet the same fate.

Immediately after the attacks of 13 June on Iran, the government of Pakistan formally passed a resolution in its whole-hearted support of Iran, saying, “This house jointly and unequivocally condemns Israel and its heinous crimes against Muslim Ummah, especially against brotherly nations of Palestine and Iran.”

“Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.” (CH 07, Article 51, United Nations)

Since day one, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had opposed nuclear weapons in the possession of an Islamic state. Netanyahu had made a formal declaration that Iran and Pakistan will not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Identifying a severe security threat to Israel’s very existence, Netanyahu had always attempted to derail the nuclear programs of Iran and Pakistan. Israel had planned to bomb the Kahuta nuclear facility of Pakistan in 1981 with the assistance of India. Pakistan survived, thanks to God’s grace. However, the threat still hangs over the nuclear aspirations of Pakistan. Israel’s recent attacks on Iran and bold statements of Netanyahu against the nuclear progress in Islamic nations are an open threat to the national security and sovereignty of Pakistan.

This is why the Pakistani government is giving full diplomatic backing to its brotherly country, Iran. As Israel escalated attacks on Iranian territory, Pakistan put its Air Force in high readiness, with special emphasis on the Iranian border near Sistan. Recently, while representing Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Ahmed, strongly condemned Israel’s unjustified and illegitimate aggression against Iran and reaffirmed support for Iran’s inalienable right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations.

Israel needs to understand that the attack on Pakistan’s nuclear program will result in a tit-for-tat retaliation.

Pakistan’s strategic thought is keenly observing the Israeli aggression and expansion, and believes that if Iran fails to counter Israel, then Pakistan would be its next target. Just like Russia, while invading Afghanistan in 1979, wanted to dominate the warm sea ports of Pakistan, Israel, after demolishing Iran’s nuclear program, will damage Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure. This is the reason that Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, has recently stated, “Israel is targeting Yemen, Iran, and Palestine. If the Islamic world doesn’t unify now, we all will meet the same fate. Pakistan is on Iran’s side. Silence is no longer an option.”

 “All wars of our age have become total wars; all European strategy is based on the concept of total wars; and it will have to be assumed that a war waged against Pakistan is capable of becoming a total war. It should be dangerous to plan for less and our plan should, therefore, include nuclear deterrent.” (Z.A. Bhutto, The Myth of Independence)

But here comes the reality. Israel has ventured to strike Iran because it is concerned that Iran will acquire nuclear weapons within a year or even in a few months. When it comes to Pakistan, there are nuclear weapons with sturdy conventional capabilities. Iran does not have a credible nuclear deterrent and strong air power, which is the only reason it is being threatened by Israel.

The globe witnessed the extraordinary performance of Pakistan’s Air Force and the benefit of possessing a nuclear deterrent in the recent war between India and Pakistan. Israel needs to understand that the attack on Pakistan’s nuclear program will result in a tit-for-tat retaliation, which a country(Israel) of the size of New Jersey could not afford. A nation (India) 150 times larger than Israel had been failing consistently to launch any attack on Pakistan, then Israel is of no significance.

Only if the Muslim world unites can the Israeli aggression be stopped.

The government of Pakistan and the Armed Forces should not leave Iran alone in this hour of need and should continue their support and make every effort to mobilize the Muslim world in support of Iran. Only if the Muslim world unites can the Israeli aggression be stopped, and a clear message would be sent to the zionist regime that an attack on any Muslim country will be equal to an attack on all, and the consequences would then be dire and devastating.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.