Iran

Tehran is likely to work with Kabul to conduct cross-border operations against the ISKP, which claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Iran’s Kerman province.

Pakistan’s retaliation was unexpected, and thus may not necessarily establish deterrence against future Iranian strikes.

The Gaza war has opened an unprecedented chapter in the bitter Shia-Sunni sectarian struggle. 

While much of the discussion of the crisis has been about geopolitics, militant groups, and proxy wars, the people living in the border areas are bearing the brunt.

To not hit back was not an option for Pakistan, as that would have been interpreted as a sign of weakness at home and in New Delhi and Kabul.

The two neighbors targeted Baloch militant groups based on both sides of their border.

Tehran’s “axis of resistance” ostensibly tries to cut through the Shia-Sunni divide, but Central and South Asian Jihadi groups aren’t buying it.

Informal trade in oil and other goods, which previously provided people in border villages with income, has been halted without putting alternative means of livelihood in place.

The difference between the deportation policies targeting Afghans in both Pakistan and Iran is the noise surrounding these efforts.

If New Delhi cannot insulate itself from the ongoing Israeli-Iranian tensions, then no amount of hedging or switching between strategic initiatives will bring its ambitions to fruition. 

What is driving Iran's interest in Antarctica, and how realistic are its ambitions?

Armenia is a crucial player in the planned International North-South Transportation Corridor. Its defeat will require India to adjust its strategy for the South Caucasus.