Military & Security

The recent H200 chip export authorisation marks a new form of power signalling in the technopolitics sphere. Advanced AI chips are the newest weapons in the US-China great power rivalry, playing out in the battlefield of technological advancement and control. In the case of AI chips, state behavior …

For years the Arctic was viewed as a geopolitical periphery which is remote, inaccessible and strategically and marginally strategic to regions such as the Persian Gulf or the Indo-Pacific. But in 2026, that perception is rapidly changing. As Europe grapples with another energy crisis, LNG markets remain volatile …

The ongoing conflict involving Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are placing growing strain on the global oil trading system, which has long been dominated by the United States dollar. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, with a significant …

In the Gulf, the most important signals are increasingly the ones no actor fully confirms. For decades, Gulf security rested on a relatively clear deterrence model: the United States would protect the flow of energy; Iran would threaten disruption but usually avoid full closure of the Strait of …

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to China on May 19-20 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping after US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, the Kremlin announced Saturday. According to a Kremlin statement, Putin and Xi will discuss bilateral relations, ways …

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday called for stricter regulation of social media platforms, arguing they must not become spaces where fake videos and hate speech spread without consequences. “If the weekly newspaper Die Zeit were to publish a false claim, one could immediately demand a correction from …

The European Central Bank may be forced to raise interest rates if higher crude oil prices begin to feed into inflation expectations, Governing Council member Martins Kazaks said Thursday. “Oil prices are higher, we see that it’s gradually starting to push inflation up, and if inflation expectations start …

China moved on Friday to publicly reaffirm its longstanding position on Iran after speculation and conflicting reports circulated regarding Beijing’s stance during recent regional tensions, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry publishing a full statement outlining its official position. Asian diplomatic sources told Al Mayadeen that Washington is expected …

Dr, Shehab Al-Makahleh When a U.S. president walks into Beijing and leaves without mentioning Taiwan, the silence speaks louder than any communiqué. The reported visit of Donald Trump to China—culminating in a closed-door meeting with Xi Jinping—is not just another episode in great-power diplomacy. It is a signal that the architecture …