Iran said on January 19 that it successfully carried out an air defence drill using drones designed to intercept hostile targets in an area stretching from its southwestern to southeastern coasts, amid heightened tensions in the region.On January 18, Pakistan launched air strikes against what it said were separatist militants inside Iran in a retaliatory attack two days after Tehran said it struck the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.The tit-for-tat strikes were the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years and have raised alarm over wider instability in the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on Oct. 7.Iran and Pakistan have a history of rocky relations but both have signalled a desire to cool tensions in the wake of this week’s strikes. Nevertheless, Pakistan expressed its willingness to work with Iran on “all issues” in a call between their foreign ministers also on Friday after the exchange of strikes.