Expert Explains: Understanding Pakistan’s balancing act on Iran

News Snapshot:

Islamabad has extended strong rhetorical support to Tehran amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, calling Israel’s actions a “violation of all rules of civilised behaviour…and international humanitarian law”. Yet it has stopped short of making any tangible military commitments to Iran. Earlier this week, when a top Iranian general claimed on television that Pakistan had promised to extend its nuclear deterrent to Iran, Pak Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar issued a swift denial, saying “there [had] been no such statement” from Islamabad’s side. Islamabad’s tightrope walk vis-à-vis Tehran was also apparent in statements that came out during Army Chief General Asim Munir’s...