Yevgeniya Mikhailidi

Who is Pakistan’s soldier-cum-diplomat at the center of US-Iran mediation efforts and why has he succeeded where others have not? My look at Trump’s “favourite field marshal” who may hold the key to regional peace. trtworld.com/article/7e4198…

Tehran has undoubtedly demonstrated an ability to keep pieces in play across the regional board and frustrate its opponents’ objectives. Whether this amounts merely to a check or ultimately to checkmate remains to be seen. ♟️ @ialmarashi and I make a case here ⬇️

Amid US-Iran tensions, Pakistan is quietly re-emerging as a rare diplomatic bridge between rival powers under Asim Munir’s blend of military credibility and transactional diplomacy 🔗trt.world/cf2y

Media coverage of the Iran war has reached telenovela levels of absurdity. Dynastic intrigue, caricaturish villains, miraculous resurrections and weekly cliffhangers crafted to keep audiences emotionally captive. @ialmarashi & I delve into the madness ⬇️ middleeasteye.net/opinion/baby-s…

America’s global military posture is colliding with fiscal reality at a moment when the scale of its commitments continues to expand. Is it time for the US to scale back, including from the Gulf? I explore this question for @TheNatlInterest : nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-ea…

The 40 Martyrs of Sebastea, Roman soldiers killed for their faith, are said to rest in an old Armenian church in Baghdad. From Rome, a pope speaks for decimated Eastern Christian communities. Now he’s a target of Trump’s attacks. @ialmarashi & I discuss ⬇️ realinstitutoelcano.org/en/commentarie…

When conventional diplomacy appears to have stalled, the burden of peacemaking falls on those trained for war. Today, in Islamabad, that old logic is once again on display. My latest for @thenatlinterest with @ialmarashi nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-road…

Pakistan brings a different set of assets to the table. Its established military-to-military channels worldwide, regional familiarity & tactical flexibility are useful in facilitating sensitive dialogue. Like Norway, Pakistan also contributes troops to peacekeeping missions ⬇️

Absolutely. To expect a dramatic miraculous breakthrough in a decades' long war after just a few hours of talks... out of touch with reality. This was a necessary first step toward more talks that will need to happen in order for a lasting agreement to be reached. #islamabadtalks

One very important thing Americans don't realize is that they're not the richest country in the world because they work hard and come up with genius ideas. It's because they're the world's leading empire with the dominance of the dollar in the global financial system. Take that out of the equation and America is just one more regional power with a bloated military it can't sustain and bankrupt with debt.

There may be no definitive evidence (yet) to prove damage to Iran’s cultural sites by US-Israeli attacks is intentional. But DOD’s new rules of engagement & historical precedent make it hard to dismiss. @ialmarashi & I discuss in ⁦@TheNatlInterest⁩ : nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-ea…

From ancient empires to modern militaries, invaders have practiced “culturecide”. The destruction of cultural heritage is often not collateral damage, but part of the logic of war. Our latest on #Iran with @ialmarashi for ⁦@TheNatlInterest⁩ nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-ea…

Will Islamabad’s initiative evolve into a genuine gateway for negotiations, or will it be a fleeting pause before the space for diplomatic choice narrows irreversibly? ⁦@dr_murat_aslan⁩ and I discuss in ⁦@RStatecraft⁩ responsiblestatecraft.org/pakistan-talks…

The US-Israel war on Iran is not the final act but the latest turn in a figurative ‘Fifty Years War’, whose underlying contests will continue long after the missiles stop flying. With @ialmarashi for Engelsberg Ideas: engelsbergideas.com/notebook/iran-… engelsbergideas.com/notebook/iran-…

Even in the brutally violent Middle Ages, warfare sought to defeat rulers politically rather than eliminate them physically, recognising that killing kings invited chaos, martyrdom and cycles of revenge. My latest for @The_NewArab with @ialmarashi newarab.com/opinion/iran-e…

Look, here we go again

When survival is at stake, backing down can be more dangerous than standing firm. This counterintuitive logic has played out repeatedly in the Persian Gulf. ⁦@ialmarashi⁩ and I break it down for ⁦@WarOnTheRocks⁩ #Iran warontherocks.com/2026/02/for-ir…

By offering affordable alternative to Western & Russian fighters, Pakistan reshapes procurement choices for mid-tier states & positions itself as strategic node in rapidly diversifying global defense ecosystem. My thoughts w/ ⁦⁦⁦@ialmarashi⁩ responsiblestatecraft.org/pakistan-air-f…

By stepping back from confrontation & letting regional instability consume its rivals and allies, Riyadh and other capitals have prospered amid Middle Eastern chaos. @ialmarashi and I examine the timeless lessons of Sun Tzu here: newarab.com/opinion/saudi-…

In Iraq, sovereignty is the sacred cow of politics: any attempt to manipulate outcomes from abroad courts the very dynamics that allow figures like Maliki to regain prominence. Trump may have fallen into that trap. Latest with ⁦@ialmarashi⁩ responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-iraq-ele…