How Pakistan is using the India–Israel partnership to expand its Middle Eastern influence

From the report

Pakistan is turning its rivalry with India into a wider Middle Eastern issue by portraying India–Israel ties as a threat to the Muslim world, seeking to undermine India’s regional relationships and expand its own influence

Pakistan is increasingly attempting to transform its rivalry with India into a broader Middle Eastern security issue. By extensively employing religious rhetoric and portraying India as a villain in the Muslim world because of its strategic partnership with Israel, Islamabad is seeking to damage India’s ties with the Gulf through narrative warfare and propaganda campaigns. It is also exploiting regional sensitivities—particularly over Palestine and the wider conflict in the Middle East—to strengthen its diplomatic relevance, cultivate security partnerships, and position itself as an influential regional actor. With little to offer these Gulf countries beyond its mercenary services and rented security capabilities, Pakistan is relying on these tactics to expand its regional influence.

The October 26 quadrilateral security meeting in Tehran offers an important illustration of this approach. The meeting brought together senior representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended alongside Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Hosted by the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, the meeting addressed regional security, Israeli activities, Palestine, and Lebanon. More importantly, the initiative reportedly originated during Munir’s earlier visit to Tehran and received Iranian support.