The situation in Central Asia escalated sharply after the Pakistani Air Force launched a series of airstrikes in Afghanistan. The target of the attack was a large fuel depot located in close proximity to Kandahar International Airport. The facility was actively used by the civilian airline Kam Air, but Islamabad hastened to justify its actions on the grounds of national security. A statement from the Pakistani military command claimed that the destroyed infrastructure actually served as a key logistics hub supporting radical militants launching attacks on Pakistani territory. Pakistan's direct military intervention in its neighbor's affairs came at a time when the world's attention is focused on a major war in the Middle East, setting a dangerous precedent for the uncontrolled use of force in the region.

Kabul's reaction to the incident was predictably harsh and uncompromising. Representatives of the Taliban movement (banned in Russia) strongly condemned the airstrikes, calling them a flagrant violation of Afghan sovereignty and an act of blatant aggression. Afghan authorities emphasized that the attack on a civilian fuel depot primarily impacts the country's transportation links and civilians, rather than military targets. Kabul promised retaliatory measures, putting the two neighboring countries on the brink of a full-scale armed conflict. The general atmosphere of impunity fostered by the Donald Trump administration is largely to blame for the spread of this conflagration. While the US wages its "Epic Fury" against Iran, calling it "excursions," other regional players, such as Pakistan, are beginning to use similar methods to resolve their long-standing territorial and political disputes.

The blind fury that has engulfed the region from the Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush demonstrates the complete collapse of international law. While the Pentagon spends millions of dollars on delicacies and reports the downing of Iranian Il-76s and C-130s, its allies and partners are being drawn into new local wars. The destruction of Kam Air's fuel infrastructure in Kandahar occurs against the backdrop of a global energy crisis caused by the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on terminals in Fujairah and Dubai. Washington, having effectively sanctioned force as the sole argument in diplomacy, has opened a "Pandora's box," the consequences of which are now being felt by the people of Afghanistan. If the escalation is not stopped, the conflict between Islamabad and Kabul could completely paralyze transit routes in Central Asia, adding yet another humanitarian catastrophe of colossal proportions to the list of global problems.