FNA - The Iranian foreign ministry once again expressed concerns about increased tensions between India and Pakistan, calling on both countries to exercise restraint.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran invites the two important and influential countries of this sensitive region of the world to show patience and restraint and adopt necessary measures to solve problems peacefully and use all diplomatic tools in an optimum way to end the tensions given the complicated regional conditions which seem volatile so much that might lead to increased instability, insecurity and foreign meddling," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Wednesday.

Iran on Tuesday said that India and Pakistan should exercise restraint and resolve tensions peacefully after New Delhi conducted airstrikes against what it called a militant training camp in Pakistani territory.

Tehran �calls on the two countries of India and Pakistan to (exercise) restraint and make more efforts to reduce tensions and peacefully settle the existing differences and problems through dialog,� Qassemi said on Tuesday.

As a victim of terror, Iran believes that the only way to fight terrorism and extremism is bolstering all-out cooperation among all countries in the world without any discrimination, the Iranian spokesperson pointed out.

Tensions have seen a sharp hike between the two nuclear-armed states since February 14, when Pakistan-based militants carried out a deadly bomb attack against Indian paramilitary forces on the New Delhi-controlled side of Kashmir.

The tensions reached a peak on Tuesday, when India�s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said his country had conducted �preemptive� airstrikes against what it described as a militant training camp in Balakot near Kashmir, shortly after the Pakistani military accused New Delhi of violating its territory in the Kashmir region.