Research Assistant
Saba Abbasi is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad. Her research explores the evolving and multidisciplinary dimensions of national security, particularly strategic implications of emerging technologies across military and non-military sectors. She holds an MPhil in Strategic Studies from the National Defence University and earned her undergraduate degree in Space Science from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan.
President Donald Trump renamed the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department of War in September 2025. Then, just a month later, he threatened at least three countries with war. Trump’s economic war was waged on most states, in the form of tariffs, from the day he assumed office, but the threats and signalling toward an armed confrontation have been growing more frequent and explicit.
Iran’s missile arsenal is the newly identified threat to Israel and US forces in the region. In the days leading up to 29 December’s meeting between Netanyahu and President Trump, there was considerable speculation that Iran would be the primary item on the meeting’s agenda, and this ultimately proved to be the case. According to the reports, Prime Minister Netanyahu briefed President Trump about the necessity and urgency of attacking Iran again. However, this time the primary threat is not its nuclear programme, but rather Iran’s growing ballistic missile stockpiles.
The concept of deterrence is being tested in these times. Among other factors, the intricacies of alliance politics add nuance and complexity to deterrence paradigms, particularly extended deterrence
“Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India Wins.”
The May 2025 India-Pakistan escalation that lasted for four days claimed about fifty lives.
Advancements in space militarisation have revolutionised traditional models of deterrence. Contemporary deterrence strategies are
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