Op-ed

Better enforcement of the re-imposed snapback sanctions on Iran could have a decisive effect on its oil exports to China. With the UN “snapback” sanctions back in force, the regime in Tehran finds itself more isolated and under pressure. The measures reinstate the zero enrichment standard and reimpose …

Sahibzada M. Usman If you glance at a map, Kazakhstan’s situation jumps out right away. It’s huge, resource-rich, and stuck in the middle of land with no direct path to the sea. That’s been both its strength and its burden. Strength, because it’s central in Eurasia; burden, because …

Zamir Awan It is appreciated that President Trump has announced a peace proposal after meeting Netanyahu. He announced a twenty-point proposal covering several aspects, but with a warning that if Hamas rejects his proposal, he will support Netanyahu to manage Gaza as per his way. The instant reaction …

Ju Hyung Kim After half a century, the Indo-Pacific is confronted with a parallel scenario: the likelihood of a dual contingency where China seeks to unify Taiwan by force and North Korea mounts a full-scale invasion against South Korea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets North Korea’s Foreign …

Azeem Ibrahim Abdelkarim Mgeg’s bid for Libyan leadership raises slim hopes for a brighter future in a war-torn country. Libya has long slipped down Washington’s list of priorities. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been trapped in cycles of civil war, foreign interference, …

 Elaine Dezenski and Josh Birenbaum China has dominated the global battery supply chain through non-market practices, posing a threat to US economic and national security.  In the 1980s, a global competitor from Asia upended the American economy with a flood of small, cheap cars that blindsided America’s automakers, …

Shukriya Bradost Despite their many differences, both Tehran and Jerusalem are finding themselves lonely in the global arena. At this year’s UN General Assembly, two bitter enemies are locked in confrontation. However, Iran and Israel arrived with more in common than either would admit. Both states stand before …

Owen Kirby Since the triumph of World War II, the United States has waged two drawn-out, unsuccessful wars halfway around the world. Both were plagued by mission creep, ever-changing objectives, ill-fated and costly attempts at nation-building, a failure to understand the nature of the opponent and local culture, …

Sahibzada M. Usman The plan to bring back the Tehran–Islamabad–Istanbul rail corridor feels like one of those big regional ideas that’s been floating around for ages but never quite delivered. This time, though, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey are putting actual dates and numbers on the table. Weekly trains …