Pakistan, Feb. 8 -- After reaching a moment of peak tension, the standoff between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a phase of cautious de-escalation. While US naval assets remain deployed in close proximity to Iranian waters and the risk of confrontation has not entirely disappeared, the diplomatic language, signaling, and operational restraint on both sides suggest a conscious effort-at least for now-to avoid a direct clash. Instead, the crisis is increasingly being managed through backchannels, quiet diplomacy, and carefully calibrated messaging. In this evolving process, Pakistan has emerged as a discreet but consequential actor.

In sharp contrast, sections of the Indian media and their affiliated social-media networ...