Middle East

Alexander Langlois In the short term, normalization between Damascus and Jerusalem is not likely. But progress is still possible. In a major moment somewhat overshadowed by the Middle East’s competing headlines, Syria’s transitional government confirmed that it held a second trilateral meeting with Israeli and US officials on …

Rob Pierce US states should be vigilant about preventing Chinese land purchases close to military installations. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is preparing for conflict with the United States and learning from ongoing wars that are redefining how future battles may unfold. A critical lesson emerging from today’s …

Τhe Alaska Summit, on August 15, 2025, attracted media and diplomatic attention world-wide. Various theories have circulated; some viewed it as a “second Yalta”, leading to a groundbreaking resolution that could grant peace and end the Russian-Ukraine war. Others, more pragmatic than opportunists, saw it simply as an …

Resource competition has intensified between the two great powers, the US and China, due to trade and tariff wars. Recently, both the countries have made major policy shifts in the strategically significant rare earth sector. China discreetly issued 2025 rare earth mining and smelting quotas to its state-owned …

Sana Khan The U.S. imposed punitive tariffs of up to 50% on Indian imports, effective Wednesday, targeting India’s trade and potentially undoing the gains from Russian oil purchases. BackgroundAccording to an analysis by Reuters, India benefited financially from increased imports of discounted Russian oil after the outbreak of …

Dimitra Staikou As the ancient Greek historian Thucydides observed, “The strong reach as far as their strength allows, and the weak reach as far as their weakness permits.” In Pakistan, the weak—its tiny Christian minority—are struggling under the weight of relentless persecution and legal vulnerability. Comprising just 1.6% …

Noureen Akhtar It was no normal day in Kabul on the 20th of August 2025. The city, once ravaged by war and suspicion, welcomed an event that could redraw the region’s map, the sixth Pakistan-Afghanistan-China trilateral meeting. For decades, Afghanistan has been considered a theater of disorder, characterized …

Bushra Ikram The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the only remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the United States (US) and Russia, is set to expire on February 5, 2026. The New START, which accounted for 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, was signed in …

In the August 18 meeting between European leaders, Ukraine, and the United States, multiple officials stressed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine that were Article V–like. These guarantees, especially in the absence of a ceasefire to support negotiations, would need to include foreign troops and monitors on …