Military & Security

Georgi Asatrian No sooner had 2026 begun than dramatic events in world politics followed one after another. The problem is not even the speed of these events but the difficulty of systematizing them. Forecasting is a thankless task. And the issue is not only the high probability of …

The latest waves of protests in Iran expose the deep structural exhaustion of a political model built on theocratic authority, an entrenched security apparatus, and an economy constrained by sanctions and mismanagement. For decades, Tehran has relied on a combination of coercion and regional power projection to preserve …

In a landmark series of high-level talks in New Delhi, India and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to a sweeping upgrade of their strategic and economic relationship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed off on ambitious plans that could …

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric over Greenland, declaring that Denmark has failed to address a supposed “Russian threat” to the Arctic territory and vowing decisive action. In a forceful post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed NATO had warned Denmark for two decades to …

Seven key factors will determine whether Venezuela ultimately transitions to democracy, remains captive to a Chavista dictatorship, or descends into chaos. For many years, national security experts have urged the United States to implement decisive measures to address the escalating national security threat posed by the dictatorship in …

Japan has begun a rare and technologically ambitious effort to secure its own supply of rare earth minerals, as concerns mount over China’s tightening control of exports. A Japanese mining vessel set sail on Monday to explore rare-earth-rich seabed mud near Minamitori Island, a remote coral atoll about …

Since the U. S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, interim President Delcy Rodriguez has focused on consolidating her power. She has appointed loyalists to critical positions to protect herself from internal threats while complying with U. S. demands to increase oil production. Rodriguez, who previously served as vice …

Governments expressed caution in response to U. S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts. Only Hungary, whose leader is close to Trump, openly accepted the invitation, while others refrained from public comments due to concerns about how the …

Mohammed Ayoob Multiple, intersecting Middle East crises combined with an unpredictable United States augur a tumultuous 2026 for the region. The current protests in Iran and the Donald Trump administration’s threat to take military action against the Iranian regime, if it continues to suppress dissent violently, demonstrate how …