Iran’s foreign minister will visit Pakistan next week after tit-for-tat airstrikes

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister will visit Pakistan next week, the two countries said Monday, following unprecedented attacks on either side of the border last week that appeared to target Baluch militant groups with similar separatist goals.

The countries accuse each other of providing a haven to the groups in their respective territories.

Pakistan’s military and political leadership last Friday moved to de-escalate tensions with Iran. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said that Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian spoke to Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani to defuse the flare-up.

Pakistan said in a statement Amirabdollahian that would visit the country on Jan. 29. The statement also said that the two foreign ministers agreed that the ambassadors from both countries could return to their posts by Jan. 26.

Pakistan recalled its ambassador amid the brief crisis and stopped Iran’s envoy from returning to his post.