Pakistan should side with Iran, as the destruction of Iran today could potentially result in Pakistan becoming the subsequent target
ByCllr Fareed Ahmed Quidwai | May 2026
In 2003, Iraq was attacked, and Iran, despite being the next-door neighbor with a common border and common religious affiliation, stayed quiet and didn’t interfere, and let the United States destroy it. Shia-Sunni tension aside, but in my humble opinion, it was a mistake from the Iranian side. In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded by Russia, but its next-door neighbor, Pakistan, stood up to the Russian bullies, despite always having an unstable relationship with Afghanistan. Don’t forget Afghanistan was the only country that objected to Pakistan’s admission to the United Nations in 1947.
However, when Afghanistan was in trouble, Pakistan forgave and forgot and supported its neighbor, and look what happened to Afghanistan. Russians were kicked out, and Afghanistan had home rule (in the form of the Taliban Government, which is still intact with a transient period of American invasion). In history, these periods could be overlooked, exactly the way Sher Shah Soori ruled in Delhi while Humayun was in exile, yet the historians claim that the Mughals ruled for a full 300 years, for example. Right now, Asim Muneer faces the same dilemma... who should he side with—the US or Iran?
In my humble opinion, he should side with Iran, because if Iran is destroyed today, Pakistan will be the next. I don’t agree with the ISPR’s argument that we are different or xyz. The US has lost all its credibility at this stage by backstabbing not once but twice, attacking during the negotiations. Once Iran is done, it will make up for any demand(s) from the Pakistani government, and if not met, Tehran will use it as an excuse to bombard Islamabad to Karachi. Is this what we want?
On the other hand, if Pakistan supports Iran, it will give Pakistan an upper hand in the Gulf. All military contracts will be awarded to Pakistan by the Gulf states after this war. The Gulf states will have no choice but to invite Pakistani forces to mind the abandoned US Gulf bases.
From some known resources, it has emerged that the BLA (Baloch) is already supporting the Israeli and US side. This should be enough for the Pakistani Army to support the Iranian side, as BLA is a headache for both countries, and failing to weed it out will be a fatal mistake for both.
Nature has a simple rule: whoever works hard has the last laugh. Most Gulf states became independent by 1971. Within 8 years, they saw Ayatollahs taking over Iran. What they should have done was to acquire nuclear technology. Instead, they indulged themselves in debauchery and luxuries with high-rise buildings, which poisoned and rusted their minds. Now we see Arabs, who were supposed to be good fighters, hiring non-Arabs to protect them.
Iran understands the strategy the US and Israel are using: They are always seeking a “truce” to buy enough time to produce more interceptors and arm all the ethnic militias like Kurds, Baloch, and others. This way, when Israel and US ground troops arrive, there will be little resistance.
Iran has destroyed the Gulf countries’ economy, especially that of the UAE, whether in tourism, construction, or IT. No more investment will come to the UAE, unless some major shake-up takes place. In fact, the only winner in this conflict is Riyadh, which has always envied Dubai for its appeal to multinationals and the relative ease of doing business.
Iran knows what game the US and Israel want to play; they are constantly looking for a “truce” to buy out just enough time to a) manufacture more interceptors, b) arm all the ethnic militias like Kurds, Baloch, etc., so when Israel and the US enter ground troops, there will be little resistance. They don’t want the repeat of the US vs Somalia of 1994, where Somalis fought street to street. This kind of war is always hard to win.
The current victories of Iran confirm that on its own, Israel was no match for Iran. Israel badly needed the US to attack Iran. If Israel had attacked Iran on its own, Iran would have finished Israel within 2-3 weeks. With the full military might of the US and Israel and all six Gulf countries, who are aiding the US and Israel secretly, we all know that Iran managed not to let them take a single inch. Imagine if any superpower like China or one country such as Pakistan gives unconditional support, Iran will be able to destabilize Israel and take over the government buildings in Jerusalem!
By the time this article is published, US President Donald Trump has already extended his initial 5-day warning to another 10 days. This way, Trump is losing all his credibility, and this is enough to show that Trump was just pushed into this corner with the fear of the Epstein Files going public. Similarly, he is proven to be a liar, as he is constantly stating that Iran approached Trump, which Iran is constantly denying. The Iranian side is not as naïve as the Americans think. They know very well that this constant extension of the deadline is going in favor of the US, as more and more troops are moved to the Gulf, for a ground invasion.
The writer is a councilor in England and an instructor in the Army Cadet Force in the British Army. He is an expert on Arabian Gulf affairs. You can reach him at fareedahmed2706@gmail.com.
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