Analysis

Taiwan has sharply rejected China’s latest maritime patrol east of the island, declaring that its sovereignty “cannot be violated” after Beijing concluded a days long coast guard operation in waters that Taipei considers beyond Chinese jurisdiction. The patrol came after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to begin …

M. Faizal Abdul Rahman Contrast the speeches of the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Kao Kim Hourn, at the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on 30 May 2026. It raises the question of whether …

Sarah Wu North Korea’s latest declaration that denuclearization is a “settled issue” should not be dismissed as routine rhetoric. Rather, it represents a blunt acknowledgment of a strategic reality that many policymakers have been reluctant to accept: Pyongyang no longer views its nuclear arsenal as a bargaining chip, …

U. S. and Pakistani leaders are expecting a framework agreement to be signed on Sunday to end the ongoing fighting between the U. S. and Iran. President Donald Trump announced that the deal is set to coincide with his 80th birthday. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned that …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh The headlines trumpet ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon, and along Israel’s northern front with Iran’s proxies. Politicians breathe sighs of relief. News anchors speak of de‑escalation. But let us be brutally honest: this is not the end of war. This is the suspension of war. Across …

Marta Rehnman As the world seeks to mitigate climate change by transitioning to renewable energy sources, geopolitical actors are entering a new resource race to secure access to critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and copper, crucial for green technologies like EV batteries, wind turbines and solar panels, as …

Lama Al-Rakad The image was striking. In Washington, the leader of Syria’s transitional government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was welcomed as a legitimate political actor after years in which he and his organization were synonymous with jihadist militancy. Whether viewed as diplomatic necessity or geopolitical pragmatism, the transformation raises one …

Dr. John Calabrase A tentative U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding appeared close to completion in late May, but Iran’s decision to suspend indirect talks over Israel’s expanding operations in Lebanon has thrown the process into uncertainty. What had looked like an emerging framework now appears less a pathway to …

Residents in Gaza, southern Lebanon, northern Israel, and Kuwait faced ongoing violence this week, despite ceasefires arranged by the U. S. supposed to be in place. Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza and Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel and Iran attacked Kuwait’s international airport. President Donald Trump …