Middle East

The United States is racing to secure dominance over critical minerals—the raw materials that underpin everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to semiconductors and missile systems. Framed as a national-security imperative, Washington’s push reflects a growing fear of dependence on China, which controls large parts of the …

Samantha Fox For years, the idea of an economic “divorce” between United States and China has migrated from academic debate to official policy talk. What once sounded implausible is now openly discussed in Washington, especially after the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising tensions over Taiwan. Yet …

Dr. John Calabrese As the third and seemingly decisive round of talks in Geneva concluded, the Trump administration had avoided diplomatic deadlock — but only by narrowing negotiations to the nuclear file. Yet after airstrikes on nuclear facilities last June and sweeping public demands, Washington had left itself …

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in U. S. and Israeli strikes, which could threaten the clerical rule in Iran. The structure of Iran’s ruling system and its ideological support base complicate predictions about the future. The text discusses potential successors to Khamenei, the stability …

Israel and the United States have launched an attack on Iran, leading to increased military tensions in the Middle East. Significant U. S. military facilities in the region include several key bases. In Bahrain, the U. S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters oversees operations in the Gulf and surrounding …

As U.S. and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, China made a deliberate choice: condemn the attack loudly, support Tehran quietly, and avoid a direct military clash with United States. The result is a textbook case of Beijing’s preferred crisis management model—strategic patience …

Dr. Ju Hyung Kim For much of the post–Cold War era, missile defense remained a marginal issue in Canada’s strategic discussion. Ottawa’s decision not to participate in US-led Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) in 2005 was framed as a principled stand against the weaponization of space and strategic instability. …

A U.S. Navy sailor signals for the launch of an F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, while operating in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location February 28, …

William Gates The eruption of large-scale military conflict involving Iran is not just another Middle East flashpoint — it may well be the trigger for the most disruptive oil shock the world has seen in years. The combination of geopolitical risk, supply-chain chokepoints and market psychology has already …