Pakistan

An Afghan of Tajik heritage, Massoud was the enigmatic warrior who resisted the Soviets, the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. So why didn't the US back him?

The Iran war exposed the risks of being too closely tied to US military posture, which is why some Gulf states are repositioning themselves not merely as consumers of security but as architects of it

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks to Al Majalla about Islamabad's diplomatic role in the talks between the US and Iran, its balancing act between Tehran and Riyadh and the Mecca Pact

As Yemen's Houthi militants activate a new maritime front, Islamabad may be compelled to play a more proactive role in regional security

Islamabad kept both sides talking even as missiles were being launched. That tenacity looks to have paid dividends in a way that could yet reshape the Middle East's power dynamics.

Since last May's brief yet dangerous military confrontation between two nuclear-armed powers, a tenuous calm has held. But should a new war erupt, the margin of error this time will be far slimmer.

With war closing the Strait of Hormuz, Islamabad has become both broker and bridge, mediating between rivals while keeping Beijing's overland trade routes alive

Islamabad is humming with behind-the-scenes diplomacy to turn this tentative pause into lasting peace.

Islamabad is uniquely positioned to mediate between the warring parties. It also has more than enough reasons to want this war to end.

The country is particularly exposed to energy market mayhem and has urgently trimmed its fuel demands, as three emergency Saudi oil shipments help keep the lights on at home.