Iran urged neighbouring Pakistan on Saturday to crack down on militants who killed 27 of its Revolutionary Guards in an attack near the border or expect military action by Tehran "to punish the terrorists", state media reported.
Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari also warned Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that they could face "retaliatory measures" for supporting militant Sunni groups that have attacked Iran's security forces. Riyadh and the UAE deny this.
"If Pakistan does not carry out its responsibilities, Iran reserves the right to confront threats on its borders ... based on international law and will retaliate to punish the terrorists," Jafari was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
A suicide car bomber killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country’s Sunni Muslim minority.