Years of painstaking intelligence work went into the operation that activated vast networks of operatives and involved multiple layers of subterfuge

Tehran appreciates the rhetoric from Islamabad, but to succeed in its war with Israel, it needs tangible support and reliable allies, something Pakistan may find difficult to muster

De-escalation is in the overwhelming interest of most countries in the region and the world, and we could see many extend a hand to help bring the conflict to an end

If Israel wins, it will likely move ahead with implementing its plan to push Palestinians out of Gaza, which could lead to a war with Egypt. If Iran wins, its proxies could further divide the region.

Israel's strikes on Iran have turned a simmering rivalry into a volatile confrontation, fuelling fears of a wider regional war with unpredictable consequences

The Israeli strikes aren't about facilities or centrifuges, but regime change

Thousands of Uyghurs from Western China spent 12 years in Syria fighting Islamist terrorists and Assad's army. With Assad gone, they are either incorporating into the Syrian military or civilian life.

Trump and Netanyahu disagree on whether to use military force to stop Iran's nuclear programme, and Israel's punishing attack on Iran places the region on a worrisome trajectory

While Israel's attack dealt a severe blow to Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure, the long-term impact remains uncertain as Tehran's potential for retaliation introduces new risks

Each side's actions carry risks of misjudgment, miscalculation, and the possibility that the conflict could escalate beyond the planned declared limits