Pakistan, July 13 -- The 12-day Israel-Iran conflict was believed by many to be the beginning of World War III. Israel's killing of the top military commanders and nuclear scientists and the destruction of military and atomic sites were met with counteroffensives by Iran. The confrontation between the two countries posed a highly precarious situation that threatened to engulf the entire region. On 22 June 2025, the US bunker-buster strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites further intensified the ominous anticipation of a bigger war that could have entangled state and non-state allies of Iran and Israel.

After the ceasefire between the two states, one of the first steps that Iran took was to ban the Director General of the International Ato...