Michael Kugelman

It embeds Pakistan in West Asia's growing, evolving security architecture, even as the region has become a battleground for India-Pakistan competition

There was always something inevitable about the new Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey mutual defence agreement. Islamabad’s security ties with longtime allies Riyadh and Ankara have intensified in recent years, culminating in last year’s Pakistan-Saudi...

The mutual defense agreement gives Islamabad a boost in the Middle East, with mixed results closer to home.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo by Manish Swarup)

The brutish group has been surprisingly stable since snatching power in 2021. Rockier times may lie ahead.

After all, as several Indian analysts have noted, Gor used the word ‘important', as opposed to ‘integral'. The latter term is the one often invoked by New Delhi when articulating its position on Kashmir. Additionally, the term ‘important' is not as closely associated with contexts linked to territoriality

The glacier collapse and floods that followed show why neighboring states must cooperate to reduce future threats.

The glacier collapse and floods that followed show why neighboring states must cooperate to reduce future threats.

Ahead of the group's leaders' summit, New Delhi is pulling out the stops. My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like.

In this op-ed, Michael Kugelman argues that 25 years after 9/11, IS-K and TTP remain serious threats, while Taliban rule enables militant groups to persist.