Ahmad Fawad Arsala

Pakistan’s renewed effort to cast itself as an “honest broker” in the wake of the U.S.–Israel war against Iran collapses under even modest scrutiny. Mediation is not a title a state can simply assume when convenient. It is a function of…

America is no longer pretending. What used to look like a scatter of foreign policy decisions now reads like a map, and not a subtle one. Step back for a moment and the pattern sharpens. From Latin America to the Persian Gulf to Southeast…

A growing body of analysis, across policy circles, energy economists, and strategic commentators, points to a conclusion many still resist: if the United States successfully concludes the Iran war and consolidates control over the Strait of…

Pakistan has suddenly attempted to position itself as the diplomatic center of the latest crisis between the United States and Iran. Negotiations are being hosted in Islamabad, Pakistani officials speak confidently about “facilitating…

The diplomatic proposals now circulating to end the escalating war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel appear at first glance to be irreconcilable. Washington has presented a 15-point framework that focuses heavily on limiting…

The ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has entered a decisive phase. After weeks of intense air and missile exchanges, the battlefield dynamics increasingly suggest that the conflict will shape Iran’s political…

The bombing of a rehabilitation center in Kabul is not just an atrocity, it is a confession. A confession that Pakistan has lost control of its neighborhood, its strategy, and increasingly, its own. This is not counterterrorism. This is…

The conflict involving Iran is not only a Middle Eastern crisis. Its consequences extend far beyond the Gulf, reaching Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the wider Central Asian region. When combined with Pakistan’s growing confrontation with…

Pakistan’s leaders are once again congratulating themselves for killing militants in Balochistan and launching new operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Press releases fly. Body counts are celebrated. The script is familiar: more force, more…

For decades, Iranian protesters have risen up knowing one bitter truth: no matter how brave, how widespread, or how justified their revolt, they would ultimately stand alone. Western leaders would issue statements. Diplomats would “express…