Pakistan, June 16 -- History may ultimately record June 2026 as the month when the strategic balance of the Middle East began to shift in a manner few thought possible. What started as an effort to weaken Iran, curtail its influence, and force it into submission instead produced a different outcome. Iran survived, endured, adapted, and emerged from the confrontation with its political system intact, its strategic position preserved, and its regional influence enhanced.

At the outset of the conflict, expectations in many capitals were remarkably similar. The assumption was that the combined military, economic, technological, and intelligence capabilities of the United States and Israel would prove overwhelming. Iran was expected to retrea...