By Farooq Ahmad Khan 

Explosive events in the Middle East have revealed, once again, how quickly the standing of nations can change. 

Countries viewed through the narrow lens of sanctions, isolation, or geopolitical rivalry often emerge in unexpected ways when confronted with crisis. 

Political fortunes rise and fall, international perceptions shift, and strategic calculations evolve. Such moments bring to mind a timeless Quranic verse: “To Allah belongs all sovereignty. He bestows honour upon whomsoever He wills and humbles whomsoever He wills.”

Much of the discussion surrounding the recent confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has focused on military capabilities, regional influence, and diplomatic consequences. 

Iran Ties US Peace Deal To Israeli Exit From Lebanon

Iran Announces Security Belt From Hormuz to Red Sea

Analysts have examined battlefield outcomes, strategic deterrence, and shifting alliances. A more important lesson sits beneath those debates. 

Whatever one’s political views, the episode has reinforced a reality that the international community can no longer dismiss: Iran has become a country whose capabilities, ambitions, and national confidence command attention.

Military endurance, however, provides only a partial measure of national strength. 

Lasting influence grows through contributions to human progress. Countries earn enduring respect when they advance knowledge, improve lives, and expand humanity’s collective understanding of the world.

Knowledge possesses a unique quality among human achievements. Territory changes hands, political systems evolve, and alliances form and dissolve. But scientific discovery grows stronger when shared. 

Ideas developed in one country frequently improve life far beyond its........

© Kashmir Observer