Explore the global fallout of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following Operation Epic Fury. Analyse the surge in oil prices, US struggle for energy hegemony, and the risk of a global recession
The escalating tensions between US-Israel and Iran threaten Pakistan’s economy, security, oil imports, remittances, and regional stability amid border conflicts.
Pakistan cuts illegal migration to EU by 47% via 1,700+ arrests. Europe hails it as frontline partner, eyes legal labor paths amid crime-terror links.
![Ukrainian and Russian flags with soldier silhouettes representing ongoing conflict. [Image via Atlantic Council].](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2022-02-09T000000Z_1319661209_MT1NURPHO000HXCNME_RTRMADP_3_UKRAINE-CONFLICT-STOCK-PICTURES-scaled-e1661353077377.jpg "2022-02-09T000000Z_1319661209_MT1NURPHO000HXCNME_RTRMADP_3_UKRAINE-CONFLICT-STOCK-PICTURES-scaled-e1661353077377")
Four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has evolved into a costly stalemate with far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences.
PM Shehbaz meets Qatar’s Emir in Doha, reaffirming strong ties and advancing strategic economic cooperation.
![Prime Minister Narendra Modi with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at an official event. [Photo Courtesy: Praveen Jain via The Print].](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20-scaled-e1755601883425-1024x576-1.webp "The Facade of Indian Strategic Autonomy")
India’s strategic autonomy faces pressure as US trade leverage, energy dependence, and defence ties test New Delhi’s balancing doctrine.
Washington’s new security lens is transactional. Partnerships must pay. For India, sentiment won’t suffice, deliverables will.
Pakistan convened an Arria-formula UN Security Council meeting, emphasizing that the Indus Waters Treaty remains fully binding. International law and treaty sanctity were upheld against India’s unilateral
As Gaza endures a prolonged humanitarian catastrophe, Pakistan’s decision to engage with the Board of Peace reflects a calculated shift from symbolic diplomacy to realist-humanitarianism. Rather than retreating into moral posturing, Islamabad has chosen presence as leverage, seeking to shape aid delivery, protect Palestinian priorities, and influence outcomes from within imperfect multilateral structures.
Pakistan’s entry into Gaza’s Board of Peace marks a historic departure from its traditional Palestinian policy. As Islamabad navigates an extra-legal, US-led governance framework that excludes Hamas and sidelines sovereignty, the question looms large: is participation a tool of influence, or an act of moral complicity?