The recent escalation in the Middle East has reached a critical turning point where coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran have triggered not only retaliatory actions in Tehran but also wider disturbances and bloodshed across the region, drenching the Middle East in dust and blood.
Attacks were carried out on key governmental and symbolic sites in Iran’s capital, including the state broadcasting organization and the Golestan Palace, a site of global cultural heritage, resulting in over 600 deaths, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this context, statements and military actions by the U.S. and Israel indicate that their primary objective is to weaken Iran’s military and strategic assets to create a one-sided balance of power in the region, allowing Israel to continue pursuing its ambitions unchecked. Iran, in response, completely blocked the Strait of Hormuz for shipping and began successive attacks on U.S. and allied targets in the region, intensifying tensions in the Gulf and across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued for a second day in Beirut, Lebanon, as a precaution against possible missile attacks from Hezbollah, prompting Hezbollah to retaliate against airports in northern Israel. Following new attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut, at least 52 people were killed and 154 injured, while Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israeli radar and control rooms using drones. Israel issued evacuation notices in 59 areas of Lebanon, particularly in Shiite-majority suburban regions seen as Hezbollah strongholds. This indicates that the regional conflict has intensified not only between Iran and the U.S. but also between Lebanon and Israel, with civilian populations caught in the crossfire. Iranian drone attacks have led Qatar Energy to completely suspend LNG production after targeting the Ras Laffan and Musaid gas facilities. Saudi Aramco’s largest refinery, Ras Tanura, suspended operations as a precaution following Iranian drone strikes, which caused a limited fire that was controlled.
Additionally, other countries in the region are also affected by this crisis. Iranian missiles and drone strikes in Qatar hit two missiles at Al Udeid Airport, with multiple explosions heard in Doha, while Saudi Arabia shot down eight drones in its airspace, though some drones still reached their targets, including the U.S. embassy. U.S. defense officials (CENTCOM) confirmed that during operations against Iran, three U.S. F-15E fighter jets in Kuwait were shot down due to an error by the Kuwaiti air defense system, though all six pilots survived and are in stable condition. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens in other Middle Eastern countries have been advised to evacuate immediately due to potential risks. Limited flights resumed at Dubai International Airport, and the UAE allowed some restricted flights.
This entire situation reflects widespread anxiety and insecurity across the region. It is now crucial for the Muslim world to unite and find ways to protect itself collectively from this endless escalation and the maneuvers of global powers. Overall, the current crisis is not only a battle for Iran’s survival but also a decisive moment for establishing a new balance of power in the Middle East and for the political sovereignty of the Muslim Ummah. Ali Larijani and other Iranian leaders are playing key roles in this crisis, while the situations in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE further reflect the intensity of this escalation. In this context, the attention of the international community and the strategies of countries in the region are crucial in shaping the future direction.
Especially after the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader, the situation in the region has entered an extraordinary and delicate phase. Pakistan’s geographical position, which places it at the intersection of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, further complicates this crisis. However, Pakistan is in a favorable position and has so far conducted its diplomacy with finesse, indicating that it can help reduce the intensity of this regional escalation and even serve as the best country to provide a face-saving path for the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Pakistan has emerged in this turbulent environment with a foreign policy that can offer both the U.S. and Iran an opportunity to save face. The logic behind this is that Trump’s rating in the U.S. has gradually declined, even reaching 39 percent, and debates have started in Congress about whether Trump, by exercising his powers under Article 2, Section 2, decided to strike Iran based on an immediate nuclear and terrorism threat without congressional approval, which is legally controversial. The CIA chief’s briefing to Congress mentioned no such immediate threat, putting pressure on Trump and his administration.
At the same time, Iran, knowing that engaging in this complex war with its full strength could be catastrophic, has begun disabling almost all landing strips in the region, which are a key part of military strategy, as prolonged conflict could prevent the U.S. from maintaining supply lines for its weapons. In this scenario, all parties would seek a path in which Iran would be willing to accept limitations related to uranium enrichment without reluctance, while the United States would refrain from pressing its demands regarding Iran’s missile program; under such an arrangement, the war could be avoided. Otherwise, beyond the human and material losses, the global economy could face severe and potentially unbearable consequences.
Although Iran is not militarily equal to the U.S., it is a country with an ancient civilization and a strong institutional structure. Despite the deaths of former military chief Qassem Soleimani and several Iranian scientists and military figures, Iran’s state structure has remained intact. Years of sanctions have pushed Iran toward alternative and local economic systems, enhancing its resilience. For Pakistan, a major challenge is its deep economic and defense ties with the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, custodian of the two holy mosques, with whom Pakistan has defense agreements. Meanwhile, Iran’s approximately 900-kilometer-long border can directly transmit the effects of any military expansion to Pakistan. Maintaining balanced relations with Gulf countries, China, and the U.S. has thus become a complex diplomatic test, in which Pakistan appears to be successfully navigating so far.
