Qatar downed two Iranian bombers and halted LNG production on Monday, as Tehran widened its attacks to hit oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a sharply escalating Gulf crisis that has sent prices soaring.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted a United States air base in Bahrain, the Islamic republic's elite force said in a statement carried on Tuesday by the official IRNA news agency.

US President Donald Trump warned that his attack on Iran could run longer than a month, as Tehran retaliated to ongoing strikes by targeting US allies in the Gulf and drones hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Oil prices jumped Monday as the widening war in Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting how important the passageway is to the world’s oil supply.

The US State Department said Tuesday it has ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq, as Iran retaliates against US-Israeli strikes.

The US Embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Lahore and Karachi have suspended all visa and ACS appointments through March 6 due to security concerns following nationwide protests.

Danish shipping company Maersk on Sunday announced that it is suspending vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz after reports that it had been closed following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday they had launched missile strikes on an Israeli government complex in Tel Aviv as well as security and military centres in Haifa and an attack on east Jerusalem.

In a historic and unprecedented moment, Prince Andrew became the first senior British royal in nearly 400 years to be arrested. The move signals a profound shift in accountability within the monarchy.

Each year, Ramadan in Pakistan arrives with promises of relief and billion-rupee subsidy packages. Yet for many citizens, the holy month brings soaring prices instead of ease. From weak market monitoring to ineffective implementation, the gap between announcements and ground realities exposes systemic flaws.

Pakistan has largely lost its traditional leverage over Afghanistan—refugees, militants, and border control—leaving it with limited and risky options like drone strikes or potential military action.

A critique of media influence and authoritarian tendencies that discourage critical thinking, suppress dissent, and keep citizens distracted rather than informed.

In Iran, subsidy reform is economically necessary but politically perilous because cheap essentials underpin daily survival amid inflation and low trust.

India is highly vulnerable to Gulf instability due to its heavy energy reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, exposing it to inflation, trade disruptions, and risks to its diaspora.

Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s shift from global jihadist to pragmatic power broker in Syria highlights how image management and governance shape political survival. The Taliban’s refusal to reform, by contrast, has deepened Afghanistan’s isolation and weakened its legitimacy.

The author argues that Pakistan’s military privilege is not merely institutional but civilizational—reshaping infrastructure, politics, faith, and daily life to normalize inequality, suppress dissent, and extract wealth at the expense of civilian society.