THIS is with reference to the report “Khamenei’s assassination brings world to precipice of chaos” (March 2). The joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, resulting in the decapitation of its leadership and the killing of civilians, particularly innocent schoolgirls, has once again underscored the significance of Thucydides’ classical thoughts about an anarchic world order where being weak is no excuse.

From the very beginning, the Zionist regime of Israel has never hesitated in eliminating whatever it perceives as a threat — Saddam’s Iraq, Qadhafi’s Libya or Assad’s Syria. The broader strategic objective appears to be complete Israeli dominance across West Asia. Without neutralising revolutionary Iran, that key objective remains unfinished.

It is foolhardy, however, to believe that Israel will stop after Iran’s fallout. The next strategic targets could well be Pakistan and Turkiye. These are the only two Muslim countries possessing powerful and advanced military machines, a factor Israeli strategic planners never exclude from their long-term equations.

Recently, a former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Naftali Bennett described Turkiye and Pakistan as an emerging Sunni Islamic bloc that, in his view, could pose a threat to the Zionist state. In Pakistan’s case, particu- larly, its nuclear deterrence has for long unsettled Western powers.

Nuclear deterrence alone, however, may not suffice for Pakistan, and Nato’s Article 5 may not prove to be a dependable shield for Turkiye if the proverbial push comes to shove. Both states, therefore, require credible and sustainable conventional deterrence. A functional strategic align-ment between them — one that operates effectively in moments of crisis — would be essential. The primary objective must be the expansion of robust ballistic and cruise missile capabilities alongside the modernisation of air, electronic and cyber defences. Central to this effort is the integration of land, air, and sea forces through enhanced joint coordination and multi-domain exercises.

Having said that much, strategy abroad demands stability at home. Pakistan, with volatile eastern and western borders, cannot afford prolonged political instability. This should immediately attract the attention of our planners and strategists.

Abdullah Ali
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026