From Trump’s Felony to the Future of American Leadership
Trumpian populism has ensured that a convicted felon stands a good chance of emerging as the 47th president of the US.
Category International Relations and Strategic Studies
India’s Strategy Amidst China’s Growing Presence in South Asia
Despite stating that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, China has made it an art to coerce countries that receive aid from it. Previously, China demanded deference from other countries to the “One China” policy with regard to Taiwan, Tibet and on its South China Sea disputes with South-East Asian nations.
Chabahar Port: India-Iran Deal & US Sanctions
On May 13, India and Iran formally signed a 10-year agreement for management and development of the strategically located Chabahar Port in southeastern Iran. Until now there has been an annual contract awarded to India Port Global Ltd (IPGL). Indian Minister of Shipping Sarbanand Sonowal travelled to Iran to witness the signing ceremony of this important connectivity initiative which provides access to Afghanistan and Central Asia as well as larger Eurasia and the Caucasus. However, this progress was quickly eclipsed by a sanctions warning from the US.
Israel-Gaza War: Tel Aviv to unscramble and respect the “red lines”
If Rafah, which Netanyahu calls the last bastion of Hamas, is fully invaded amid large-scale casualties, then the region may not see peace for years to come.
Xi Jinping’s Europe Visit Bolsters India’s Strategic Position
The context of Xi's visit is burgeoning European desire to consolidate a European geopolitical salience
When China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping recently toured Europe, he concluded assorted agreements with France, the more refined of the European Union’s twin hearts, Serbia, a candidate member of the EU, and Hungary, the EU’s perpetual bad boy, often friendlier with Moscow than with Brussels. It was seen as a triumph of Chinese diplomacy, designed to reinforce Europe’s resistance to American pressure to choke off the burgeoning Chinese lead in high-tech and otherwise isolate Beijing.
Navigating the Escalatory Landscape: Crafting Strategies Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
From Iran's perspective, Israel breached a critical threshold by attacking its diplomatic mission, which Tehran deemed its sovereign territory.
The latest escalation between Israel and Iran marks a significant change in the adversarial relationship between the two antagonists. Not since the first Persian Gulf War of 1990-91, when the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein struck Israel with SCUD missiles, have the Israelis been subjected to a missile attack on the scale the Iranians executed. Tehran’s most recent salvo involved a combination of drones and missiles. The missile barrage consisted of a mixture of cruise and ballistic missiles. Israel’s missile defences intercepted an estimated 331 missiles launched by the Iranians.
Navigating the Complex Dynamics of West Asian Geopolitics: Preventing Escalation
What will the complex calculus of the new Middle East crisis resolve into, and what will be the impact on India?
ISRAEL has succeeded in diverting world attention from Gaza and Hamas to Iran. This is similar to how Hamas, in October 2023, successfully short-circuited US efforts at normalising relations between the Arab states and Israel under the Abrahams Accord.
These moves and countermoves are ratcheting up the intensity of conflict in West Asia with serious global implications, including for India. The Indian approach seems to be similar to that in the case of the conflict in Ukraine— to play both sides.