Retired Pakistani General Says Iran’s Response Has Shifted Regional Strategic Balance

Retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Ghulam Mustafa has said that Iran’s response to the recent military conflict involving the United States and Israel has significantly altered the regional strategic landscape. He argued that the confrontation challenged long-standing perceptions of U.S. and Israeli military superiority while accelerating what he described as the emergence of a new international order centered on the Global South.

Mustafa, the former commander of the Pakistan Army’s Strategic Forces Command, said the military campaign against Iran was part of a broader geopolitical strategy rather than a conflict limited to security concerns. He maintained that the objectives extended beyond Iran itself and were linked to wider regional and global strategic interests.

According to Mustafa, one of the key goals was to strengthen Western influence over major energy resources. He pointed to Iran’s vast oil and natural gas reserves, as well as the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian region, arguing that control over these resources has long been a strategic objective for global powers.

He also claimed that military dominance over Iran would have provided greater leverage over critical maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Mustafa said that, together with existing influence over other key sea lanes, such control would have enhanced oversight of global shipping and energy supply routes.

Mustafa argued that these broader strategic objectives were disrupted by Iran’s retaliatory military operations. He said the response imposed significant costs on the United States and Israel and prevented the realization of what he described as their wider geopolitical aims.

The retired general’s remarks represent his personal assessment of the recent conflict and its strategic implications. His analysis reflects his views on regional security dynamics and the evolving balance of power in the Middle East.