The Hormuz crisis is not merely a regional conflict but a case study in the limits of conventional military power
The escalating conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States has directly impacted the security dynamics of the Strait of Hormuz. The geography of strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz makes it both a vulnerability and a geopolitical leverage. The strait is deep and wide enough to handle the world's largest crude oil tankers, and it is one of the world’s most important chokepoints...
The Israeli Polygon versus the Sunni Arc
On the eve of the conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, Israeli leadership outlined its vision of the shifting bloc architecture in the Middle East and adjacent regions. Six days before the start of the military operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
announced
the formation of a “hexagonal alliance within or around the Middle East,” whose participants, he stated, would share “common perspectives on the realities, challenges, and objectives...
A War Without a Coalition
In the evolving landscape of international politics, moments arise that redefine power, credibility, and alliances. The recent confrontation involving the United States, Iran, and Israel appears to be one such moment. Far from consolidating American leadership, the conflict has exposed deep fractures in Washington’s global partnerships, raising critical questions about the sustainability of its strategic dominance.
At the center of this unfolding crisis stands Donald Trump...
On March 16, 2026, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) hosted a conference “Conflicts in Middle East and North Africa: Escalation Factors and Transformation Tracks”
On March 16, 2026, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) hosted a conference “Conflicts in Middle East and North Africa: Escalation Factors and Transformation Tracks”. The meeting was aimed at discussing the contemporary trends of the conflicts in Middle East and North Africa. The RIAC report “
Conflicts in Middle...
Even if Israel and the Trump administration entered the battle against Iran together, there is probably a difference in their perspectives on the goals of the current conflict
This wave of escalation would be distinct from its predecessors in 2024 and 2025, as was evident from the early hours of the joined American and Israeli strikes on Iran on the morning of February 28, 2026. The reason for this discrepancy is that
49 senior regime leaders were killed
in the initial strikes of Operation Epic...
Major players are less sensitive to crises; asymmetry of potential is hardly an obstacle to resistance; a lack of allies is a problem; but being a junior partner can lead to being held hostage to a major player’s game
The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has reached its first critical juncture. It can be characterised as an attempt at a crushing, disarming strike. The targets included the country’s spiritual, political, and military leadership, as well as its industrial, nuclear, and infrastructure...
From the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, history repeatedly demonstrates that technologically superior militaries can struggle to secure durable political settlements
In international politics, overwhelming military superiority has long been regarded as the ultimate guarantor of security. The United States remains the world’s most capable military power in terms of global reach, technological sophistication, and alliance networks. Israel, likewise, possesses advanced capabilities unmatched in its...
The situation surrounding Iran fosters a kind of fatalism among all parties—a mind-set that risks defining the geopolitical climate for years to come
The massive Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran hardly came as a complete surprise. For several months, the US-Israeli strike force had been concentrating in the Persian Gulf. Tense negotiations between Iran and the United States had stalled and were unlikely to yield progress.
The deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of...
Five Potential Possibilities for Iraq’s Government Amid Iran-US Tensions
Three days after former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was selected by the "coordination framework" to form a new government on January 24, 2026, US President Donald Trump
posted
a tweet on TruthSocial denouncing al-Maliki's nomination and threatening that “That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help...
The SCO embodies a persistent tension between security imperatives and development ambitions, but this tension is not a weakness
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is increasingly described as a central pillar of Eurasian security governance, regional connectivity, and geopolitical coordination. Established in the early 2000s to stabilize borders and address the threats of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, the organization has gradually evolved from a narrowly defined security arrangement...
