UN Urges India and Pakistan to Use Restraint as Tensions Soar after Kashmir Attack

Indian Border Security Force soldiers stand guard at the barricade on the road leading to the Attari-Wagah border on India's side, near Amritsar, Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)
Indian Border Security Force soldiers stand guard at the barricade on the road leading to the Attari-Wagah border on India's side, near Amritsar, Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)
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UN Urges India and Pakistan to Use Restraint as Tensions Soar after Kashmir Attack

Indian Border Security Force soldiers stand guard at the barricade on the road leading to the Attari-Wagah border on India's side, near Amritsar, Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)
Indian Border Security Force soldiers stand guard at the barricade on the road leading to the Attari-Wagah border on India's side, near Amritsar, Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)

The United Nations has urged India and Pakistan to exercise “maximum restraint” as the nuclear-armed rivals ramped up tit-for-tat diplomatic offensive following a deadly attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir.

The UN appeal comes amid soaring tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad after gunmen killed 26 people near the resort town of Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday. India immediately described the massacre a “terror attack” and said it had “cross border” links, blaming Pakistan for backing it.

Pakistan denied any connection to the attack, which was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance, The Associated Press said.

The UN called Pakistan and India “to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further.”

“Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe can be and should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement,” the statement said Friday.

Following the attack, India announced a series of diplomatic actions against Pakistan.

New Delhi on Wednesday suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that has withstood two wars between the two countries and closed the only functional land border crossing between the countries while also cutting the number of diplomatic staff. A day later, India revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday.

In retaliation, Pakistan on Thursday responded angrily that it has nothing to do with the attack, and canceled visas issued to Indian nationals, closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India, including to and from any third country.

It also warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert flow of water would be considered an “act of war” and met with “full force across the complete spectrum” of Pakistan’s national power.

Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years, targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. New Delhi describes all militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle.



China Urges Iran, Israel to ‘Immediately’ Take Steps to Cool Tensions 

A young boy walks through the debris at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
A young boy walks through the debris at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
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China Urges Iran, Israel to ‘Immediately’ Take Steps to Cool Tensions 

A young boy walks through the debris at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
A young boy walks through the debris at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. (AFP)

China urged Iran and Israel to "immediately" take steps to reduce tensions on Monday after Tehran unleashed a barrage of missile strikes on Israeli cities and Israel struck military targets deep inside Iran.

"We urge all parties to immediately take measures to cool down the tensions, prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil, and create conditions for returning to the right track of resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Israel's surprise assault on Iran last week, launched after decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war fought through proxies and covert operations, has touched off the most intense fighting yet and triggered fears of a lengthy conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

Israel says its attacks have hit military and nuclear facilities and killed many top Iranian commanders and atomic scientists, although a senior US official said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump told Israel to back down from a plan to kill supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi held phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Saturday, the foreign ministry said, in which he made clear to both Beijing's support for Tehran.

China enjoys close ties with Iran, being its largest commercial partner and the main buyer of its oil with Tehran still under crushing US sanctions.

Guo said on Monday "all relevant parties should immediately take steps to put the brakes on the escalation and to cool down the tensions".

"Force cannot bring lasting peace," he said.

"China will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, and promote peace and encourage dialogue, to prevent further turbulence in the region," he said.