Diplomacy Pays Off |
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, initiating one of the most consequential armed conflicts in the Middle East. Sustained bombardment throughout March and into early May inflicted devastating losses on Iran, including the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Contrary to the expectations of Israeli and American war planners, however, the Iranian state did not collapse. It devised a strategy of decentralised command, devolving operational authority to the unit level, and retaliated with waves of missiles and drones targeting US military bases across the Gulf while effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan, sharing a long border with Iran and deeply embedded in the Gulf’s political economy, found itself at the epicentre of the crisis. Islamabad's engagement with the combatants was driven by strategic, economic and geopolitical compulsions.
Pakistan had recently signed a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, obligating it to provide military support in the event of foreign aggression against the Kingdom, a commitment that became a powerful restraining factor on Iranian targeting of Saudi installations.
The economic dimension was equally pressing. Sustained disruption sent petroleum prices........