Mahesh Jethmalani says Pakistan 'in crosshairs' of Iran war, cites IRGC airspace allegations

Israel says it has hit 'security headquarters' across Tehran, as its airstrikes continue in Iran

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani warned that Pakistan risks being drawn into the widening US–Israel–Iran conflict.

According to him, Pakistan is now in the crosshairs of a war it cannot control.

In a post on X, he said Iran’s IRGC side is openly alleging that US–Israel strikes used Pakistani airspace and warning that Pakistan, like Gulf hubs, “won’t remain safe” from missiles. Pakistan is denying that its airspace or territory was used.

“Now look at the behaviour, not the media lines: Pakistan has issued NOTAM-style restrictions/partial closures on segments of its airspace for commercial traffic amid wider regional shutdowns. Whether they call it “operational reasons” or ‘routing’, it screams one thing: Islamabad is nervous about spillover,” said Jethmalani.

Not just a failure of some 'grand diplomatic' effort, Pakistan is now in the crosshairs of a war it cannot control.

Related Stories

• Middle East war could trigger India earnings downgrades, GDP cuts if oil stays above $100: Chakri Lo...
• Saudi forces down '12 drones in its airspace' after Iran vows to target oil resources
• US allows limited sale of Russian oil at sea as Middle East war pushes crude prices higher

Iran’s IRGC side is openly alleging that US–Israel strikes used Pakistani airspace and warning that Pakistan, like Gulf hubs, “won’t remain safe” from missiles.… https://t.co/DMcVT5tZA7pic.twitter.com/E5VmbEXxWI — Mahesh Jethmalani (@JethmalaniM) March 4, 2026

Jethmalani argued that Pakistan lacks the “strategic bandwidth” for deeper involvement in a regional confrontation, citing internal insurgency pressures, tensions along the Afghan border, and ongoing economic fragility. A further escalation, he suggested, could create cascading risks if miscalculations occur amid heightened rhetoric and military posturing.

“This is the core truth: Pakistan keeps trying to be a corridor for bigger powers, while selling “sovereignty” to its public. Corridors don’t get protection. Corridors get used and then they get hit,” he said.

Pakistan also indicated recently that it could be drawn into the spiralling conflict in the Middle East, citing its recently signed defence pact with Saudi Arabia as having potential implications for the ongoing war sparked by Iran tensions and US–Israel military action.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, said he had warned his Iranian counterpart against raining missiles or drones on Saudi territory and reminded Tehran of Islamabad’s mutual defence agreement with Riyadh, according to The Financial Times.

The treaty, signed in September 2025, specifies that an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — a provision that could be implicated if Iran were to target Saudi soil.

Dar told reporters that he had “made them understand that we have a defence agreement” and that this diplomatic messaging may have helped deter heavier Iranian strikes against Saudi Arabia.