ADVERTISEMENTComplicating the challenge is Pakistan's worst fighting in years with Afghanistan, the other nation on its western border along with Iran. The mercurial Trump has a close relationship with Field Marshal Asim Munir, the most powerful man in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have been targeted by Iran in its counter-strikes following the U.S. and Israel attacks. For Pakistan's Shi'ites, the Ayatollah in Iran turned into a defender of their identity, said Kamran Bokhari, senior director at the New Lines Institute in Washington. "Each one of those deaths is a reminder of the embattled place of Shias within Pakistan," Tahir said.

Source: The Telegraph March 05, 2026 08:26 UTC