Pakistan has claimed that Iran extended “strong support” to Islamabad during the May 2025 military conflict with India, a claim that appears at odds with Tehran’s public position during Operation Sindoor, when it actually called for restraint and de-escalation by both sides.The assertion was made by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a written reply to the National Assembly on the state of the Pakistan-Iran relations.“The relationship has remarkably improved in the past two years, with Pakistan’s strong diplomatic and political support for Iran both in the 12-day war in June 2025 and Iran’s recent conflict with the US and Israel. Iran also gave strong support to Pakistan during its May 2025 conflict with India,” Dar said.Pakistan’s Prime Minister visited Iran in May 2025 nearly a fortnight after the India-Pakistan conflict, with Dar’s reply saying the visit was also aimed at thanking the Iranian leadership “for its support during the war against India”.Islamabad, however, did not spell out what it meant by Iran’s “strong support” during the India-Pakistan conflict.The claim assumes significance as Tehran’s publicly articulated position during Operation Sindoor was to urge India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had visited both countries during the crisis where he maintained that Iran had friendly relations with both New Delhi and Islamabad.While Islamabad has highlighted its diplomatic support for Tehran during its conflicts with Israel and the US, its latest assertion specifically brings Iran into the narrative surrounding the May 2025 India-Pakistan confrontation.Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had told the Lok Sabha that India had secured overwhelming international support during the diplomatic build-up to Operation Sindoor. Of the 193 UN member states, only three countries apart from Pakistan had opposed India’s position, Jaishankar had said, underlining that the broader international response had backed India’s right to self-defence.Dar’s statement now provides Islamabad’s account of Iran’s position during the conflict, although the reply gives no details of any military, intelligence or diplomatic assistance allegedly provided by Tehran.The claim is likely to attract attention in New Delhi, particularly against the backdrop of India’s assertion that Pakistan was diplomatically isolated during Operation Sindoor and that most countries backed India’s position against cross-border terrorism.