Afghanistan

Pakistan

Military & Security

Politics

The Afghan Taliban's spokesperson said in a late Oct. 9 post on X that the sound of an explosion had just been heard in Afghanistan's capital, and added that authorities were investigating the incident but that no damage had been reported yet.

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Kabul Explosion May Be a Pakistani Strike Against TTP Leader

The first round of talks on Oct. 2 between a Pakistani government delegation and protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir failed to break an impasse over protesters' demands for authorities to limit local officials' benefits, which many residents allege are being provided at the expense of local services, Arab News Pakistan reported on Oct. 3.

Pakistan: Talks Between Government and Protesters Fail After Deadly Unrest

United States

Saudi Arabia

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said the country's nuclear arsenal would be "made available" to Saudi Arabia under their new defense pact, the first confirmation that Pakistan's nuclear weapons would be included as part of the agreement that was signed on Sept. 18.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Pakistan Says Saudi Arabia Is Under Its Nuclear Umbrella

On Sept. 17, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan announced that they had signed a mutual defense pact that considers an attack against one of them to be an attack against both and implies that Saudi Arabia is under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella, AP reported on Sept. 18. 

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan: Governments Sign Mutual Defense Pact

China

Economics

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with various Chinese officials this week during a six-day visit to China, resulting in the two countries signing $7 billion in memoranda of understanding as well as $1.5 billion in joint ventures across a range of sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy, health and steel, AP reported Sept. 5.

Pakistan, China: Countries Sign $8.5 Billion in Investment Deals, Renew Commitment to Starting CPEC's Next Phase

Bangladesh

Pakistan and Bangladesh pledged to boost bilateral trade, investment and connectivity following Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Dhaka, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 25.

Pakistan, Bangladesh: Governments Strengthen Relations

The Afghan Taliban plans to host a trilateral meeting on Aug. 20 with China and Pakistan in Kabul, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19. 

Afghanistan: Taliban To Host First Trilateral Talks With China and Pakistan in Kabul

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. Department of State formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA, and its specialized Majeed Brigade unit as a foreign terrorist organization, in a press statement released on Aug. 11. 

Pakistan, U.S.: State Department Designates Balochistan Liberation Army as Foreign Terrorist Organization

Columns

On Geopolitics

India

Nepal

Sri Lanka

Protesters gather at the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025. 

Widespread discontent with corruption and economic mismanagement is fueling movements that demand greater accountability across South Asia.

Political Instability Roils South Asia

Assessments

Germany

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Russia

The flag of Afghanistan sits on the Afghan embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025. 

As Afghanistan's neighbors deepen ties with the Taliban and Western states remain cautious, a widening diplomatic divide threatens to complicate efforts to address the country's worsening crises and regional security risks.

The Growing International Divide Over Taliban Ties Will Risk Regional Stability

Water runs in the Gurez valley in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, near the India-Pakistan border, on June 3, 2025. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Diplomatic talks between India and Pakistan will likely remain stalled due to ongoing airspace closures and disputes over water-sharing, sustaining the risk of a future conflict following the two countries' military confrontation earlier this year.

Unresolved Tensions: Water, Airspace and the Future of India-Pakistan Diplomacy

Turkey

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Turkey's export strategy necessitates trade partnerships with countries in many different spheres of influence, portending both risks and opportunities as Ankara attempts to maintain its neutral middle-power status.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Turkey's Export Strategy Hinges on Neutrality

Media

Podcasts

Will the cease-fire between the two countries last?

Essential Geopolitics: The Outlook for India-Pakistan Relations

The Bombay Stock Exchange building May 7 in Mumbai, India. If military hostilities were to resume and lead to a prolonged conflict, Pakistan would be far less well-positioned than India to sustain it from an economic and financial perspective.

If military hostilities were to resume and lead to a prolonged conflict, Pakistan would be far less well-positioned than India to sustain it from an economic and financial perspective.

The Economic Case for an India-Pakistan Ceasefire

Snapshots

Indian soldiers pay respect during a wreath-laying ceremony for a soldier who was killed during a cross-border firing between India and Pakistan, in Jammu on May 12, 2025. 

While the near-term threat of severe escalation has waned, ongoing tensions over thorny issues like Kashmir and water-sharing will sustain the risk of cross-border flare-ups.

Amid India and Pakistan's Tenuous Ceasefire, Future Flare-Ups Remain Possible

Soldiers and onlookers inspect the debris of a mosque damaged by Indian strikes in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on May 7, 2025. 

While a full-scale conflict remains unlikely, escalating tensions will increase security risks in both countries, including travel and business disruptions, nationalist protests, potential militant attacks, and increased cyber threat activity.

India's Retaliation for Kashmir Attack Will Provoke a Pakistani Response

An Indian paramilitary trooper patrols a market area in Pahalgam, south of Srinagar, in India-held Kashmir, on April 29, 2025. 

India will likely soon launch limited military strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for the deadly April 22 Kashmir attack, raising the risk of escalation despite both sides' desire to avoid a full-scale war.

The Drivers and Constraints to a Wider India-Pakistan Conflict

Canada

Iran

Italy

Ukraine

Indian soldiers stand guard atop their vehicle in Srinagar, India, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

U.S.-Iran Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions, Canadian Elections and Pope Francis' Funeral

An Indian paramilitary serviceman keeps watch in Pahalgam, south of Srinagar, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. 

India and Pakistan's exchange of tit-for-tat diplomatic and economic moves is raising the risk of a military escalation, while also fueling domestic unrest due to rising nationalist sentiment in both countries.

India-Pakistan Tensions Surge Following Deadly Kashmir Attack

A general view shows Sri Lanka's Colombo port on April 9, 2025.

Textile exports from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will suffer under new U.S. tariffs, worsening economic hardships and risking political instability.

South Asia's Textile Industry Reels From U.S. Tariffs

Pakistan is located in South Asia and is bordered by Iran, Afghanistan, China and India. To the north are the Himalayan Mountains, which branch off into the Hindu Kush range. To the southwest is the vast Balochistan Plateau, which is arid and sparsely populated. In the south is the Thar Desert and a 650-mile coast along the Arabian sea. The Indus River begins in the Tibetan Plateau and cuts through the country’s eastern half.  The river nourishes the fertile plains of the Punjab, the country’s populous core region and its political and economic heartland.    Pakistan’s primary geographic challenge arises from its borders, which do not correspond to natural geographic boundaries. The modern borders of Pakistan were created in 1947, when the nation was carved out of the Muslim-majority northwest and northeast portions of India. The countries have fought three wars since independence, and each claims the territory of Kashmir. Bangladesh, then known as “East Pakistan,” gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 with India’s help.  This reinforced the notion within Pakistan that India was an existential threat. Pakistan has long sought to gain influence in Afghanistan, both to secure strategic depth and to prevent Kabul from falling into New Delhi’s orbit.    On the west, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — called the Durand Line — has remained contentious since the British created it in 1893. Kabul claims that Afghanistan’s true boundary runs deep into Pakistan to absorb the Pashtun tribal belt divided between both countries. The mountainous terrain has made the region difficult to govern, ensuring that the border remains porous.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Kabul Explosion May Be a Pakistani Strike Against TTP Leader

Pakistan: Talks Between Government and Protesters Fail After Deadly Unrest

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Pakistan Says Saudi Arabia Is Under Its Nuclear Umbrella

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan: Governments Sign Mutual Defense Pact

Pakistan, China: Countries Sign $8.5 Billion in Investment Deals, Renew Commitment to Starting CPEC's Next Phase

Pakistan, Bangladesh: Governments Strengthen Relations

Afghanistan: Taliban To Host First Trilateral Talks With China and Pakistan in Kabul

Pakistan, U.S.: State Department Designates Balochistan Liberation Army as Foreign Terrorist Organization

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