Wars are not won through self-proclaimed victories; it is for the world to assess the outcomes on the basis of the objectives of war, either remaining unifocal, imperative for victory, or shifting objectives, evolving situation, and reinforcing failures. For the USA, its strategic objective or operational mission has clearly crept from regime change to opening […]
Implausible Pause
Let me state upfront that the five days pause in war announced by USA, is not a negotiating window, it is a design by choice. I say so on the basis of reasons which I proffer in succeeding text. When a major power issues a compressed ultimatum like this, while brandishing its military capability without […]
Game Theory Analysis of War
Game theory, is the structured analysis of strategic interaction under conditions of interdependence, where each actor’s optimal decision depends not only on its own preferences and capabilities but also on its expectations of others’ expected reactions and responses. Its rational assumption means that actors seek to maximize outcomes under uncertainty, while anticipating reactions from adversaries […]
Iran’s Economic Counterpunch (Part II)
Reportedly, an unnamed Iranian official is being quoted as saying that Iran is considering making an offer regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes every day. Startling as the news, but the condition attached to this proposal is equally dramatic: […]
Iran’s Economic Counterpunch
The recent attacks on critical oil and port infrastructure across the Middle East mark a strategic turning point in the unfolding United States-Israel-Iran confrontation. Offshore platforms operated by American companies and key facilities tied to global energy flows came under coordinated Iranian assault. These actions were not random provocations or symbolic gestures. They carried a […]
Political Afterlife of Mass Disclosures
If one traces the genealogy of high-profile socio-political scandals starting from the last three decades of the last century to the first three decades of the ongoing century, two clear terminologies were coined to refer back to them. The ones with the popular suffix of “gate” from the 20th century, borrowing it from the Watergate […]
Nemesis Follows Hubris–The Lesson
Yesterday, the world woke to a grim spectacle: a blood-soaked theatre being staged in the name of freedom and security. Old wine in a new bottle. Washington is presenting the bombs falling on the Middle East as instruments of peace, as tools meant to liberate people and secure the world. That narrative demands to be […]
US-India Trade Agreement
The elites in Washington and New Delhi are raising toasts for what is being dubbed as a historic trade agreement. Being celebrated across front pages and official social media accounts as a memorable trade breakthrough between the two countries, it in fact needs incisive analysis before anyone can declare it as an economic or diplomatic […]
Debacle in Colombo
It was the same wicket, same ball, same day, same weather and as expected, Indian bowlers had a field day in Colombo against Pakistan. Preceding that, our bowlers, including our “Premium Fast Bowler”, were thrashed all around the ground. As usual, the wicket turned against us mid-way; an excuse which can never be understood. Babar […]
War On Worship
On 6 February 2026, a suicide bomber successfully targeted an Imambargah on the outskirts of Islamabad during a packed congregation of Friday prayers, killing at least thirty-one worshippers (death toll yet not confirmed) and injuring many more. An Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility, and investigators uphold that the attacker had recently travelled through Afghanistan. The […]