Alfred Thayer Mahan, a US naval strategist, said, “Whoever controls the Indian Ocean will dominate Asia, the destiny of the world will be decided on its waters.” True to Mahan’s words, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has evolved into a hotbed of great power competition due to growing economic, security, and geopolitical interests. With India, China, and the US contesting for influence, Pakistan navigates a complex web of strategic choices as a major Indian Ocean littoral state. 

The IOR is bounded by three regions and is the third largest oceanic division covering nearly 20 percent of the global ocean. It hosts vital sea lines of communications (SLOCs) comprising the Strait of Hormuz, the Malacca Strait, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Suez Canal. It is a major artery for global trade since the region handles more than one-third of trade in bulk freight along with two-thirds of the world’s oil exports. IOR possesses plentiful natural resources including around 35 percent of gas and 65 percent of global known oil reserves. This has made it a significant arena for economic as well as geopolitical power plays, which are likely to augment in the coming years.

As a result of the expanding geo-political and geo-economic imperatives of India, China, and the US, accounting for almost

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