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This is apropos a letter to the editor titled ‘The uncertain endgame of the Iran war’ carried by the newspaper in recent days.

This economic pressure may ultimately become the most powerful force influencing the Iran war’s outcome. Democratic societies are especially sensitive to such economic shocks. In the United States and across Europe, populations are politically active and economically demanding.

When citizens begin to experience sustained increases in living costs—whether through gasoline prices, heating bills, or inflation in essential goods—they inevitably question the policies responsible for those conditions.

Public debate intensifies. Legislatures face scrutiny. Opposition movements gain momentum. Citizens begin asking whether the objectives of a war justify the economic hardship imposed upon them.

If energy prices continue rising for a prolonged period, domestic pressure within Western societies could grow rapidly. Protest movements, political opposition, and electoral pressures may begin pushing governments toward negotiation or de-escalation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

Qamar Bashir

The writer is a former Press Secretary to the President, An ex-Press Minister at Embassy of Pakistan to France, a former MD, SRBC Macomb, Detroit, Michigan

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