Asia Sentinel

Asia Sentinel

Politics

Why Pakistan Cannot Become a Middle Eastern Power

The price of admission could be the strategic autonomy Islamabad needs

Oct 28, 2026
∙ Paid
By: Salman Rafi Sheikh

Pakistan’s emergence as a mediator between Washington and Tehran has given Islamabad unusual diplomatic visibility. Its involvement in ceasefire negotiations and subsequent peace efforts has demonstrated that a country traditionally viewed through the prism of South Asian security can, under unusual conditions, exercise influence b…

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