An Israeli-affiliated think tank, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), has recently unveiled its so-called “Balochistan Studies Project.” At first glance, this might seem like a genuine research initiative. However, a closer examination reveals that it is far from an impartial academic pursuit—it serves as a front for a coordinated agenda.
MEMRI was co-founded by Meyrav Wurmser, an Israeli national, and Colonel Yigal Carmon, a former Israeli military intelligence officer with 22 years of service. Carmon also advised Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin on counter-terrorism. American journalist Richard H. Curtiss, in his work The Secret Life of Meyrav Wurmser, describes Wurmser and her husband, David Wurmser—a prominent pro-Israel figure—as “the sharpest blade” in supporting Israel’s global interests. Despite its claims of neutrality, MEMRI has faced significant criticism for its operations.
MEMRI asserts that its mission is to bridge the language divide between the West and the Middle East by translating media in Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew. However, journalist Brian Whitaker of The Guardian accuses MEMRI of selectively translating content to portray Arabs and Muslims in a negative light or to advance Israel’s political agenda. Similarly, Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has noted MEMRI’s tendency to amplify the “worst possible quotes” from the Muslim world to further its narratives.
Now, MEMRI has turned its attention to Balochistan, appointing an obscure figure, Mir Yar Baloch, as a “special advisor.” But who is Mir Yar Baloch, and why has MEMRI chosen him for this role?
Mir Yar Baloch’s credibility appears to stem solely from his association with Hyrbyair Marri, the exiled leader of the Free Balochistan Movement. For years, Marri has aligned himself with foreign powers hostile to Pakistan and Iran, reducing the Baloch cause to a convenient tool for external agendas.
This development is not an isolated event. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly urged the Iranian people to rise against their government, clearly signaling Israel’s intent to incite unrest within Iran. MEMRI’s Balochistan project seems to be yet another component of this broader campaign. Netanyahu has explicitly stated Israel’s strategic objectives: regime change in Iran and the suppression of nuclear ambitions in both Iran and Pakistan. Using Mir Yar Baloch, Israel appears to be advancing narratives to justify its aggressive policies toward Iran, co-opting the Baloch cause as a Trojan horse for its regional ambitions.
Meanwhile, Marri’s so-called “Democratic Transitional Plan for Iran” is not a genuine blueprint for democracy; it is a façade designed to align with Zionist interests. Cloaked in nationalist rhetoric, the plan ultimately supports foreign agendas that threaten the sovereignty of both Pakistan and Iran. Harbiyar Marri, far from being a champion of self-determination, has morphed into a political opportunist willing to legitimize external interference in exchange for personal and political gain. Figures like him and Mir Yar Baloch have become instruments for foreign powers—actors whose allegiance is sold to the highest bidder.
Through the MEMRI Balochistan Studies Project, foreign powers are exploiting the Baloch cause to advance their own strategic goals. This is not about justice, freedom, or self-determination; it is about destabilizing an entire region. The question remains: how long will it take for this hidden agenda to become undeniable?
