(By Khalid Masood) In the shadowed corridors of power in Tehran, a transition is underway that could redefine the Islamic Republic’s trajectory for a generation. Following the death of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in Israeli airstrikes on March 18, 2026, the vacuum at the helm of Iran’s security apparatus…
(By Khalid Masood) The last night (16-17 March 2026) airstrikes of Pakistan Air Force inside Afghanistan have sparked intense regional debate, with the Taliban government condemning the operations as violations of sovereignty and alleging civilian harm at protected sites. Yet, to view these strikes solely through the lens of diplomatic friction is to overlook the…
(By Khalid Masood) The ongoing confrontation between the United States and Iran has evolved far beyond a contained regional security dispute into a definitive stress test for the durability of the US-led global order. What initially commenced as a focused campaign of maximum pressure, internally dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” was designed to isolate Tehran and…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction: A Critical Escalation In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, American forces struck military targets on Kharg Island on the night of 13–14 March 2026, according to announcements from the Trump administration. This development, occurring on the fifteenth day of hostilities that commenced on…
(By Quratulain Khalid) In the high-stakes arena of Middle Eastern geopolitics, few actions carry the weight of targeting a religious head of state. A circulating strategic assessment argues that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would constitute “the single greatest strategic blunder in modern US history.” This narrative posits that eliminating the Supreme Leader does…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction The conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has escalated beyond initial expectations, transforming into a complex regional crisis with global strategic ramifications. Triggered by a coordinated US–Israel strike campaign against Iranian military infrastructure, the war has rapidly expanded to include missile and drone exchanges, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and…
(By Khalid Masood) The United States’ recent approval of a $686 million sustainment and upgrade package for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets represents a timely affirmation of Islamabad’s strategic resilience. Notified by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress on December 8, 2025, this deal arrives at a pivotal moment, reinforcing the Pakistan Air…
(By Khalid Masood) In the fragile ecosystem of South Asian security, where the line between military posturing and all-out war is perilously thin, India has once again chosen the path of escalatory brinkmanship. The announcement of “Exercise Trishul” (Oct 30-Nov 10, 2025), is not a ‘routine’ drill as the spin from New Delhi would have…
(By Ayesha Mahnoor) In a world increasingly fractured by Western unilateralism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, held in Tianjin, China, from 31 August to 1 September, emerged as a defining moment in global geopolitics. As a Pakistani expert in diplomacy and statecraft, I view this summit not merely as a regional gathering but…
