India–Pakistan conflict tests the limits of nuclear deterrence (Arun Swamy – East Asia Forum)

The 2025 India–Pakistan conflict marked an unprecedented escalation of the two countries’ longstanding hostilities. These hostilities have largely centred on Kashmir, though driven less by a mere territorial dispute than by nationalist politics, institutional fragmentation in Pakistan and ideological posturing on both sides. While tensions may have reduced from a boil to a simmer, the underlying dynamics appear unchanged, making a return to unstable brinkmanship the most probable outcome.

India–Pakistan conflict tests the limits of nuclear deterrence | East Asia Forum