PAKISTAN'S STRATEGIC HEDGING IN THE POST-WAR MIDDLE EAST: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The Middle East entered a new phase of regional order after the 2026 US-Iran war, which reshaped the strategic environment for regional states, including Pakistan. The war weakened Iran's military and economic capacity but did not eliminate Tehran's regional influence, creating new challenges and openings for Pakistan as it works to protect its national interests amid shifting regional security arrangements. The new defence agreement among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan shows Pakistan's growing role in this changing regional security order. Pakistan's geographical proximity to Iran, combined with its longstanding relations with Saudi Arabia and its expanding ties to Turkey, China and the United States, places Islamabad in a difficult strategic position. This study examines Pakistan's strategic hedging in the post-war Middle East and asks how Islamabad can balance its relations with Iran against emerging regional counter-alignments. Drawing on a qualitative approach based on secondary sources, the study argues that strategic hedging allows Pakistan to maintain constructive engagement with Iran while strengthening relations with other regional actors, and it examines the constraints and prospects this strategy carries for Pakistan's regional role and national interests.