There is a wave of anger and grief within Pakistan’s Shia community following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid escalating attacks by Israel and the United States.

But beyond the emotional outpour and charged sentiments lies a consequential question for Pakistan: what could prolonged instability in Iran mean for our own fragile security landscape?

Experts and Pakistani security officials warn that instability in Iran could increase cross-border movement by armed groups and inflame sectarian tensions within Pakistan’s already polarised society.

Meanwhile, analysts warn that prolonged instability in Iran could revive patterns previously observed during the Syrian conflict, when marginalised individuals were drawn into foreign battlefields.

Read more here.