THAT faint flicker of hope we could see has now turned into real, solid hope.

Thanks to Pakistan’s efforts, a ceasefire has been secured for two weeks. However, a few things have become clear. One relates to Iran, the second to the United States—its leadership and its close ally Israel—and the third to Pakistan.

Within the span of a year, two devastating wars were imposed on Iran. Its leadership, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, was martyred and its military command was also not spared. It has been argued that all this happened due to Iran’s own weaknesses—that its ranks were not well organized, that there were traitors and spies within. Yet the question remains: how could such a large state fail to cope with such a situation? When a country’s political and military leadership is wiped out, there must be deeper causes behind such a failure.

All of Iran’s weaknesses and mistakes may be acknowledged, but there is another aspect to Iran as well. To understand it, one must go back into history—not very far, just a century and a half or two. These were times when armies fought face to face on open battlefields, and the decisive measure of victory was often the beheading of the opposing commander or king. The strategy of Donald Trump appears to reflect that same ancient mindset. At the very outset of the war, Iran’s supreme leadership and its top-tier political and military command were eliminated.

The conventional logic of war suggests that after such massive losses, Iran should have surrendered and sought peace from the aggressors. But the opposite has happened. It is Iran’s adversaries who now seem eager to escape the war, yet they find no easy exit. The resilience demonstrated by Iran is extraordinary. It is true that Iran has been reduced to rubble; neither its citizens nor its assets remain secure. Yet the spirit of its people remains unbroken, and they seem to declare: Come forth, O tyrant, test your skill; You may test your arrows, we shall test our hearts.

This strength has been granted to Iran by its ideology, its faith, and its civilization. It is this very force and spirit that have made it appear unconquerable. On the other side stand the United States and Israel, both stained with the blood of innocents. In this war against Iran, neither country appears to have upheld basic human values. Schools filled with innocent children have reportedly been bombed, and across the country universities, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure have been destroyed. Donald Trump, in a press conference on Monday, also threatened Iran with further devastation, stating that if it did not agree to terms set by the United States, it would be pushed back into the Stone Age—taking centuries to stand on its feet again and restore normal life.

Such conduct is not war; it can only be described as war crimes. In the West, Europe has traditionally been America’s closest ally. It is true that Europe’s own history is not free from such stains—something we in the subcontinent have experienced firsthand. Yet in this war, the American conduct appears so inhumane that even Europe, despite its own past, seems reluctant to fully align with it.

Donald Trump appears neither restrained in speech nor in action. Voices have emerged even within the United States questioning his mental fitness and arguing that he is unfit to hold the highest office of such a powerful state. Calls for his removal carry weight and, in a way, sustain some faith in humanity. However, Republicans do not appear willing to take action against him. This suggests that a segment of the American conscience endorses these actions. This is not a sign of strength, but of weakness.

Now consider Pakistan. A nuclear power in South Asia, it has long struggled with economic challenges due to internal and external pressures. Over the past two years, it had begun to stabilize its economy through determined effort and had made some progress in providing relief to its people—when this war broke out, once again intensifying its economic difficulties.

Despite this, Pakistan has maintained its credibility in the international community and has worked to prevent the region from descending into the flames of war. On the one hand, it is striving—while observing the principles of mutual respect—to protect both Iran and its defense partner Saudi Arabia from destruction. On the other, it is engaged in efforts to restrain American aggression. In this way, Pakistan has emerged on the global stage as a messenger of peace, and its importance continues to grow with each passing day.

This growing significance must translate into resolving the problems faced by the Pakistani people—and it likely will. At the same time, Pakistan’s global role appears set to become more prominent in the near future. If it succeeds in playing this role, contributing to stability and prosperity in the region, the world may well prepare to move toward a more peaceful, stable and prosperous era.

—This writer is former advisor to the President of Pakistan, author & mass media theorist.

(farooq.adilbhuta@gmail,com)

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