Europe

Italy has refused permission for U.S. military aircraft to use a key air base in Sicily for operations linked to the Middle East, according to a source familiar with the matter. The decision concerns the Naval Air Station Sigonella, a strategic hub frequently used for NATO and U.S. …

By Muhammad Hassan Al-Saadi The Middle East is passing through a pivotal moment in which the threads of politics are tightly interwoven with the smoke of artillery. Security threats are no longer confined to isolated fronts; instead, the region is experiencing what can be described as a state …

As tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East—particularly between the United States, Israel, and Iran—the Gulf once again finds itself at the center of the global security equation. But the conversation is no longer limited to deterrence, military balance, or strategic alignment. A more fundamental question is …

Hosein Mortada The United States doesn’t just export goods, services, or technology. Its most powerful export—the one that underpins everything else—is the United States dollar. That export is now facing a slow, strategic challenge. This is not a crisis that will unfold overnight, nor one defined by dramatic …

Nikolas K. Gvosdev The “world war” of the 18th century, with its shifting coalitions and proxy fronts, is more akin to the 21st century’s wars than the 20th century’s. At the close of the classic 1990 episode of The Simpsons, “Bart the General,” Bart Simpson solemnly intones that …

Peter Suciu Chinese research vessels have spent years studying the world’s seafloor for ostensibly civilian purposes—but have specifically done so in locations with high military significance. In October 2021, the United States Navy’s Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) collided with an uncharted seamount in the South China …

Justin Mitchell Both Moscow and Beijing stand to benefit from a prolonged war between the United States and Iran. Iran is isolated, fighting a war for its survival. Yet China and Russia, Iran’s supposed partners, are conspicuously absent. Both countries condemned the attacks on Iran and called for …

Mansoor Ahmad The world witnessed major conflicts in 2025, with one of the most alarming escalations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan. If it had not been stopped in time, there was a potential threat of a nuclear war. Donald Trump is taking credit for stopping …

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday that discussions are ongoing to find a diplomatic solution to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that a military resolution is not on the table. Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV on the sidelines of a G7 foreign affairs …