Dimitra Staikou As Henry Kissinger once observed, diplomacy is ultimately the art of limiting power. In Pakistan’s case, however, the late-March 2026 ceasefire between the United States and Iran did not demonstrate diplomatic strength—it exposed its limits. Rather than shaping outcomes, Islamabad revealed that it lacks both the …
Read More »Behind the U.S.–Iran Talks: An Open Conflict with a Diplomatic Ceiling
Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh Behind the sealed doors of Islamabad, the negotiations between the United States and Iran were never about drafting a mere “agreement.” What unfolded was something far more intricate—an extension of conflict itself, reconfigured into the language of diplomacy. Public imagination, ever hungry for binary conclusions, …
Read More »Economic shockwaves from Middle East war to overshadow IMF and World Bank talks
Top finance officials from around the world are meeting in Washington this week due to the impacts of the ongoing war in the Middle East, which follows the disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World …
Read More »Trump threatens to blockade the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U. S. Navy would begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following unsuccessful talks with Iran, endangering a fragile two-week ceasefire. Trump stated that the Navy would take action against vessels in international waters that had paid Iran a …
Read More »How Pakistan Became the Mediator Between the US and Iran
Pakistan has spent the last year or so carefully building Washington’s confidence while maintaining a functional relationship with Tehran. Wasay Mir On April 7, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a ceasefire between the United States and Iran had been reached. “Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom …
Read More »Could the Iran War Shatter US Power Projection in the Middle East?
James Holmes A prolonged crisis in Hormuz could drive the US Navy out from its longstanding base in Bahrain. Trouble would inevitably follow. This week’s ceasefire aside, the portents are grim for the US Navy’s long-term posture in the Middle East and beyond. Even if the Trump …
Read More »US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan end in stalemate
The U. S. and Iran did not reach an agreement to end their ongoing war after lengthy talks in Islamabad, which raised concerns about the ceasefire. Each side blamed the other for the failure of the 21-hour negotiations, which have resulted in numerous casualties and increased global oil …
Read More »Geopolitics, Tamil Statehood, and the Search for a Political Solution
Hadi Elis The Tamil people possess one of the world’s oldest continuous cultural and civilizational identities. Historian Michael Wood once described the Tamils as “the last surviving classical civilization on Earth,” noting their remarkable ability to preserve ancient traditions, language, and literature despite centuries of external pressures. Their …
Read More »Middle East war threatens global food security, growth, warn IMF, World Bank, WFP
The war in the Middle East is driving major disruptions in global energy markets and risks worsening food insecurity, particularly in low-income, import-dependent countries, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the World Food Program (WFP) warned Wednesday. In a joint statement, the institutions …
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