BREAKING NEWS

White House: US doesn't want to see escalation in Iran-Pakistan clashes

The United States does not want to see an escalation in clashes between Iran and Pakistan, the White House said on Thursday.

"We're monitoring this very, very closely. We don't want to see an escalation clearly in South and Central Asia. And we're in touch with our Pakistani counterparts," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One as President Joe Biden flew to North Carolina.

The US State Department on Thursday urged restraint on all sides in tensions between Iran and Pakistan, after Pakistan launched strikes on separatist militants inside Iran in a retaliatory attack two days after Tehran said it struck the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Pakistan's statements about the importance of cooperative relations with neighbors were productive and useful.