The Makkah defence pact unites Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan in a collective-security framework. Symbolic yet strategically significant, it diversifies Gulf security, expands Ankara’s footprint, and boosts Islamabad’s relevance—reshaping regional alignments and complicating India’s strategic calculations.

Houthis have transformed Red Sea attacks into maritime coercion, leveraging Iran’s support but pursuing independent aims. Persistent insecurity looms, with dual chokepoint disruption posing severe risks to global trade and energy.

As Pakistan faces mounting internal challenges, its information warfare apparatus is intensifying propaganda campaigns against India to divert attention from domestic crises. The battle over Kashmir is increasingly being fought not only on the ground but also in the realm of narratives and global perceptions.

Balochistan has become the epicentre of Pakistan’s growing internal security crisis, where decades of militarisation, political alienation, and economic neglect have deepened instability. The failure to address governance and development challenges has transformed the province into a multi-front conflict zone.

This issue brief analyses the strategic obsolescence of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty against the backdrop of Pakistan's cross-border terrorism, severe climate stress, and domestic water mismanagement. It highlights the immense developmental costs borne by Jammu and Kashmir, justifying India’s decision to condition future hydro-cooperation on regional security and ecological realities.

The technical negotiations at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland, which commenced on 21 June 2026, mark a critical operational step in translating the historic Iran-United States Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) into a permanent security framework. Led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Chief Negotiator Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf, these talks aim to establish concrete mechanisms for the 14-point MoU signed on 17 June.

Modi’s 2026 European tour deepened India–Europe ties through landmark technology, trade, and green energy partnerships. Building on recent FTAs, these engagements embed India into Europe’s strategic architecture, making the relationship more resilient and positioning New Delhi as a pivotal actor in shaping the next international order.

Pakistan’s Middle East strategy secures short-term gains—Saudi deposits, defence pacts, and mediation roles—yet its fragile economy and political dysfunction trap it in a “perpetual periphery.” Central enough to matter but too weak to consolidate influence, Islamabad’s diplomacy remains transactional, survivalist, and strategically unsustainable.

Pakistan’s economic crisis has reached a breaking point, with inflation exceeding 40% and foreign exchange reserves falling to critical levels.

Once strategic allies, Pakistan and Afghanistan are now engaged in direct military conflict. Despite Chinese mediation, cross-border airstrikes and TTP militancy have pushed bilateral relations to an unprecedented historic low.