Pakistan

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.

Public sentiment in Pakistan often mirrors wider reactions across the Muslim world, but its size, strategic location, and nuclear status amplify global consequences

Islamabad emerges as a key bridge in tricky conflicts from Iran to China

With 2026 unfolding amidst unprecedented global uncertainty, Pakistan's military has carved out a global role from the White House to the Levant

The flare-up is no isolated episode. Rather, it is the most dangerous chapter in a fraught, decades-long relationship that began during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s.

For decades, Riyadh and Islamabad have been on the same page when it comes to defence and security, but their alliance has always been based on understandings. That is now evolving.

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