As the United States edges closer to another military entanglement—this time over the pretense of Iran’s nuclear program—it’s worth revisiting the controversial but deeply compelling argument made by the late Kenneth Waltz in his 2012 Foreign Affairs article, Why Iran Should Get the Bomb. At the time, Waltz’s thesis—that a nuclear Iran would bring greater regional stability, not less—was treated by many as academic heresy. But in the context of another round of Israeli airstrikes, and a steady drumbeat from Washington’s bipartisan foreign policy establishment, his realism offers urgent...

On May 10, 2025, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the most intense India-Pakistan military confrontation in decades, sparked by the April 22 militant attack in Pahalgam that killed 26, mostly Indian tourists. The truce, announced with fanfare by U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social, pulled South Asia back from the brink of war. Yet, as both nations were accusing each other of violations within hours of the agreement’s announcement, the ceasefire’s clear fragility underscores the deeper, unresolved tensions over Kashmir and the structural barriers to lasting peace. The ceasefire...

On April 22, 2025, militants opened fire near the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, killing twenty-six people—mostly Indian tourists. It was the deadliest attack on civilians in the region in over two decades. Within hours, New Delhi accused Pakistan of harboring the perpetrators, claiming they were linked to Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba operating under the umbrella of a shadowy group called the “Kashmir Resistance.” Pakistan swiftly denied any involvement. But denials did little to stop the spiraling fallout. India has since suspended the Indus Waters Treaty,...