Islamabad (GNP) : – Ambassador Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, China, and the United Nations, has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel has already evolved into a major regional war with far-reaching geopolitical and economic implications.
In a televised analysis of the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, Ambassador Masood Khan observed that Iran’s policy posture has remained consistent despite immense external pressure. He stated that even after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian leadership has chosen to project continuity, resolve, and institutional stability. According to him, the elevation of Mujtaba Khamenei under extraordinary circumstances reflects Tehran’s determination to signal perseverance and unity in the face of external threats.
Ambassador Khan noted that the leadership transition in Tehran carries both institutional and personal dimensions. Mustafa Khamenei, he said, has longstanding associations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is deeply embedded within the Iranian establishment. Under normal circumstances, such a succession might have been unlikely within the clerical hierarchy, but the prevailing strategic environment has compelled Iranian authorities to prioritize continuity of command and national cohesion.
Assessing the strategic dynamics of the conflict, Ambassador Khan stated that the United States and Israel appear to be pursuing a set of objectives that include weakening Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, degrading its regional alliances, and potentially facilitating regime change. Iran, on the other hand, has responded by demonstrating its capacity for sustained retaliation, including missile strikes against Israeli targets and attacks on American military installations in the Gulf region.
He further explained that Iran had previously warned that any military assault on its territory would trigger retaliatory strikes against American bases across the region, including installations in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman. Such actions, he said, are intended to raise the cost of escalation and to signal that a broader regional confrontation would inevitably carry global repercussions.
Ambassador Khan highlighted that the conflict has already begun to disrupt international energy markets. Oil prices have surged beyond one hundred dollars per barrel, while natural gas prices have risen sharply. The targeting of oil installations, refineries, and desalination facilities, along with the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has created severe uncertainty for global energy supply chains and financial markets.
He emphasized that the war is simultaneously a kinetic conflict and an economic struggle over energy resources. According to Ambassador Khan, the strategic significance of Iran’s vast oil reserves—together with those of Venezuela, which collectively account for a significant share of global reserves—has added a powerful geoeconomic dimension to the confrontation.
Ambassador Khan also pointed to the diplomatic paralysis surrounding the crisis. He observed that the United Nations has been largely immobilized, while the United Nations Security Council remains unable to adopt decisive measures due to geopolitical divisions among major powers. In the absence of an effective multilateral mechanism, he said, the space for mediation has narrowed considerably.
Despite these challenges, Ambassador Khan underscored that countries such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Indonesia, Egypt, and Oman should continue diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation. Pakistan, he noted, has already played a constructive role by engaging both Tehran and regional capitals in an effort to prevent attacks on civilian targets and to encourage restraint.
“The longer this war continues, the greater the economic, political, and humanitarian costs for the entire international community,” Ambassador Masood Khan concluded. “Sustained diplomatic engagement and collective efforts by responsible states are essential to prevent further escalation and to restore stability in an already volatile region.”
