(By Ayesha Mahnoor) Introduction: The Seduction of Linear Thinking “History rarely moves in straight lines, and global supremacy has never been awarded on a spreadsheet.” The narrative is familiar, almost ritualistic: China’s economy will surpass America’s, its technological edge will widen, and the 21st century will belong to Beijing. This projection is presented not as…
(By Khalid Masood) The high-stakes peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, hosted in Islamabad with considerable diplomatic fanfare, have concluded without agreement. Vice President JD Vance’s early departure from the Pakistani capital, coupled with President Trump’s subsequent threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, has transformed a fragile diplomatic opening into a…
(By Khalid Masood) “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”— Sun Tzu, The Art of War The modern landscape of geopolitical conflict is undergoing a stark transformation. What began as a regional confrontation involving Israel, Iran, and proxy networks has evolved into a strategic stress test for the global order….
(By Khalid Masood) Deep inside the fortified national command centers of Washington, Jerusalem, and Tehran, the same maps glow on screens—but the strategies drawn upon them could not be more different. Missiles arc across the sky, proxy militias shift positions, and diplomats burn the midnight oil. Yet, despite sharing the same battlefield, the United States,…
(By Quratulain Khalid) I. Introduction: The Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality In the glossy brochures of New Delhi’s propaganda machine, India is portrayed as an emerging superpower—a “Vishwaguru” (World Teacher) destined to lead the Global South. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government frequently touts a $4 trillion economy, digital supremacy, and military self-reliance. Yet, in mid-March…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction In the midst of heightened regional tensions during March 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) found itself at the centre of a geopolitical storm. Following a series of unprecedented missile and drone attacks attributed to Iranian forces, anxiety rippled through the Emirates’ vast expatriate community. Images of intercepted projectiles lighting…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction: The Puzzle of Timing in a Volatile Region On February 26, 2026, mediators in Geneva reported “significant progress” in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Omani diplomats, who have long served as the quiet custodians of this backchannel, described an “unprecedented openness to creative solutions.” Forty-eight hours later, the region was illuminated…
(By Khalid Masood) The smoke rising over Asaluyeh on the Persian Gulf coast marks more than a tactical strike; it signals a qualitative shift in the 2026 Iran-Israel conflict. For the first time, the war has moved beyond military installations, nuclear facilities, and leadership targets to strike the very engine of Iran’s economy: its energy…
(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) From the outside looking in, the transformation within the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center over the past year represents more than routine personnel rotation. It signals a fundamental recalibration of the relationship between political authority and military professionalism—a dynamic that every officer who has served in uniform understands, but few outside the…
