Section

Opinion

Commentary, essays, and the editorial voice.

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

The Zainebiyoun Brigade: From the Shrines of Damascus to the Hills of Kurram

A young Shia militant from Pakistan’s Kurram region arrives in Qom at the invitation of the IRGC, entering a wider transnational network shaped by sectarian violence, regional proxy politics and the militarisation of Shia identity.

By Bashir Ahmed · 20 min read · 6h ago

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

America Can Strike Iran, But Can It Defeat It?

The latest confrontation between the United States and Iran has reignited one of the defining geopolitical questions of our era: can overwhelming military power deliver political victory?

Adil Raja · 7h ago · 5 min

OpinionParrhesia Exclusive

Has social media become socially dangerous?

The rising global debate over banning social media for minors.

Ramsha Afridi · 13h ago · 6 min

OpinionParrhesia Exclusive

How Ukraine Turned the Tide

Against a larger Russian army, Ukraine has turned drones, autonomy and battlefield innovation into a new kind of strategic depth — one that is reshaping the war and challenging old assumptions about power.

Theo-A-Mullis · 13h ago · 8 min

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

The Afghan Reckoning: How Pakistan Lost Its Strategic Depth

Pakistan’s long pursuit of “strategic depth” in Afghanistan has ended in strategic blowback, as a Taliban-led Kabul asserts its own nationalism and turns to Russia, India and China to escape Islamabad’s shadow.

Francesca Marino · 13h ago · 6 min