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TEHRAN- Hina Rabbani, Pakistans state minister for foreign affairs, has said the role of Iran and Pakistan are crucial to ensuring long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Rabbani made the remarks in a meeting on Tuesday with Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan.

In reference to her visit with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on the heels of the fourth Foreign Ministerial Meeting of Afghanistans neighbors in Samarkand last week, Rabbani emphasized the crucial contributions that Pakistan and Iran make to regional stability, particularly when it comes to matters pertaining to Afghanistan.

Regarding the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Rabbani also said Pakistan warmly welcomes restoration of ties between Tehran and Riyadh.

The conversation between Pakistans state minister for foreign affairs and Ambassador Hosseini focused on the importance of building strong political, economic, and commercial connections between Islamabad and Tehran.

Hosseini stated that commerce between Iran and Pakistan has grown greatly in recent years and is projected to grow further by enhancing infrastructure at the two nations borders.

Hosseini and Rabbani discussed increasing Irans electricity exports to Pakistan as well as arranging the formal opening of the Pishin-Mand border market.

The discussion also covered ways to activate bilateral cooperation mechanism such the Political Advisory Committee, Joint Consular Commission, and Special Committee on Security.

The Iranian ambassador also met separately with Pakistans Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. During the talks, the Pakistani officials stressed the significance of advancing high-level consultations between the two friendly and neighboring countries in order to deepen bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas.

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Islamabad calls Iran and Pakistan key players in Afghan peace ... - Tehran Times

The Pentagon now says 23 troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from attacks by Iran-backed militants in Syria in March that killed an American contractor.

The military originally said last month that six service members had TBI following the attacks waged by an Iran-made drone and militant rockets, but acknowledged medical assessments were ongoing and more cases were possible.

The cases were diagnosed among troops at two locations in northeast Syria that were attacked. One additional service member and a contractor were also injured on the base in Hasakah and a facility known as Mission Support Site Conoco.

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"We make every effort to ensure we are providing the media and the public with timely, accurate information, so I apologize for any inconvenience," Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, said in a released statement on Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with those affected by this tragic loss of life and injury."

Ryder said on Monday that the Pentagon approached Central Command for updated figures on the injuries in the March attacks and were then provided the new numbers.

Eleven troops suffered TBI in the Iran-made drone strike on the base housing U.S. personnel in Hasakah, Syria, on March 23. Another 12 troops suffered TBI during an attack on Mission Support Site Conoco on March 24, according to the new figures.

There was also a follow-up, Iran-backed attack on March 24 on the Green Village outpost, though the newly updated Pentagon figures say there were no injuries in that attack.

At the time of the attacks, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a series of retaliatory air strikes that killed eight militants, raising concerns over potential escalation with Iran. Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has backed strikes by militant groups on about 900 U.S. troops, and an unknown number of contractors, who are deployed in Syria.

Those deployed forces are focused on tracking down and eliminating members of the Islamic State, nearly a decade after the U.S. launched an air war against the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

On Monday, U.S. Central Command announced that a raid killed an ISIS senior leader and operational planner. The raid was launched following intelligence that the group planned to kidnap officials abroad.

But the few U.S. personnel who have remained in Syria and Iraq have at times been caught in Iran-sponsored violence as Tehran seeks to spread its influence in the region.

The U.S. initially denied any troops were injured in January 2020 when Iran struck Al Asad air base in Iraq with 15 ballistic missiles. Former President Donald Trump said some service members had reported "headaches" that were minor injuries.

Eventually, the Pentagon confirmed that 109 troops had been diagnosed with TBI.

The troops injured in the March attacks on Syria bases required medical treatment. The contractor was the only death reported by the Pentagon.

"One service member was medically evacuated to Landstuhl [Regional Medical Center in Germany] to receive treatment and two U.S. service members and the U.S. contractor are receiving medical treatment in Iraq," Ryder said on March 30.

-- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten.

Related: At Least 6 Troops Diagnosed with Brain Injuries After Deadly Iran-Backed Strikes in Syria

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Nearly Two Dozen Troops Suffered Brain Injuries in Iran-backed Syria Strikes, Pentagon Now Says - Military.com

Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi made the remarks among the pilots and flight staff of the Air Force on Wednesday.

Referring to the Army National Day parades held on Tuesday, he said thatthe message of the parades was peace and friendship. "If the enemies make mistakes in their calculations against Iran, we will give them a hard and crushing response with all our strength."

The Army is a supporter of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Velayat-e faqih [guardianship of the Islamic jurist], he noted, adding that Army forces will defend the Establishment with all might.

The National Army Day, which is celebrated annually on April 18, was established by the founder and first Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, in 1979.

Four divisions of the Iranian Army, namely the Ground Force, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Air Defense, held military parades marking the National Army Day on Tuesday in the presence of President Ebrahim Raeisi in Tehran.

Iran Army units have unveiled a broad range of advanced gear such as homegrown missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, radar systems and air defense missile systems.

Among the major achievements put on display during the parade was the Mohajer-6 drone, which is capable of carrying guided bombs and sophisticated surveillance equipment. It has already been used in combat by the Iranian Armed Forces.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Iran maintains that its military power poses no threat to the regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republics defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.

MNA/5758948

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Iran to respond crushingly in case of enemies' mistake - Mehr News Agency - English Version

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) said he thinks Israel and the United States lose credibility when they threaten to act militarily against Iran,according toSaudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat, a London-based newspaper.

The Arabic newspaper is known to promote the policies of the Saudi kingdom. The article,written by Badral-Kharif, commemoratedthe six years since MBSbecameheir to the Saudithrone, portraying him asthe prince of the East, the hope of the nation and the builder of the virtuous state.

In the article, al-Kharif gaveMBSreasons for the recent China-brokeredrapprochementagreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Saudi Crown Prince, Bin Salman, thinks that with a country like Iran that has ancient history and culture it is impossible to solve conflicts through direct military confrontation, the article stated. He is convinced that such a solution would involve recklessness and adventurism and there are no victors in war.

According to Israeli Middle East experts, it is possible that the crownprince, himself,directed the writer to express conciliatory sentiments about Iran.

According to the newspaper, MBS believes a political solution, through dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the right way to navigate the decades-old threats Iran poses to the region.

Countries cannot be wiped off the map when problems can be solved on the table, the report stated, citing bin Salmans approach. It claimed that Bin Salman does not pay attention to American and Israeli threats to strike in Iran and is convinced that they are a type of political blackmailing and chatters that have been around for decades.

There has been no indication of their credibility up until today, the articlenoted.

Theauthordescribed the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran as having turned a page over a pressing issue, and attributed it to the wisdom and foresight of the Saudi crown prince.

It also highlightedthe re-establishment of the kingdoms diplomatic tieswith Syria as another achievement for MBS, after a 12-year boycott of the Assad regime. Currently, the Saudi kingdom isleading the effortsto have Syriarejointhe Arab League.

On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. This marks the most significant development in years toward ending Syrias regional isolation due to its 12-year-long civil war.

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Report: Saudi crown prince says Israeli, American threats to strike ... - All Arab News

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A man protests in Lisbon against Iran's execution in December of two men over the anti-government protests

Executions in Iran rose by 75% in 2022, with at least 582 people put to death as authorities sought to "spread fear" among protesters, campaign groups say.

The figure was the highest since 2015, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and France's Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM).

Their report is based both on official announcements and sources inside Iran.

Most of those executed were convicted of murder or drug charges, but two protesters were hanged in December.

Mohsen Shekari, 22, and Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, were found guilty of the vague national security charge of "enmity against God" following what the report said were "show trials" based on confessions obtained through torture.

Another two protesters were executed at the start of this year, while dozens have reportedly been sentenced to death or charged with capital offences.

The protests swept across the Islamic Republic following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was detained by morality police in Tehran in September for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly".

The rest were "unannounced" or "secret" executions that were reported by sources including eyewitnesses, family members, lawyers and people working for prisons or the judiciary, it adds.

According to the report, 288 (49%) of those put to death were convicted of murder, which was the highest number in 15 years. They included 13 women and three people who allegedly committed crimes when they were children.

Another 256 people (44%), including three women, were executed after being convicted of drug-related charges, up from 126 in 2021 and 10 times higher than the figure for 2020.

The report warns that the significant reduction in the number of drug-related executions that came as a result of a 2017 amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Law "has now been completely reversed in practice" and laments the "lack of reaction" from the United Nations.

The report also draws what it calls an "insidious link" between surges in executions and anti-government unrest, with one coinciding with the start of protests by teachers in May and another beginning a month after the death of Mahsa Amini.

"The international reactions to the death sentences against protesters have made it difficult for the Islamic Republic to proceed with their executions," says Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, IHR's director.

"To compensate, and in order to spread fear among people, the authorities have intensified the execution for non-political charges. These are the low-cost victims of the Islamic Republic's execution machine."

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Watch: Ros Atkins on... why Iranians are taking to the streets

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Iran executions surged in 2022 to 'spread fear' - report - BBC