The trajectory of India’s Arctic engagement will depend on its ability to scale its efforts without losing coherence. Investments in research infrastructure, greater involvement from the private sector, and deeper partnerships with Arctic states will be critical India’s growing engagement in the Arctic reflects a deliberate expansion of its strategic …
Read More »Recent Articles
From banks to blockchains: US opens new front in Iran sanctions
The Trump administration’s sanctions on Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange mark an escalation in Washington’s effort to disrupt the financial infrastructure Tehran uses to operate outside the formal banking system. The US Treasury designated Nobitex alongside Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex and sanctioned senior figures connected to Nobitex, including chairman, co-founder and …
Read More »Substituting Venezuelan oil for Persian Gulf oil: A geopolitical reality check
The idea of substituting Venezuelan oil for Persian Gulf oil has become more relevant as energy security is increasingly shaped by chokepoints, sanctions, and regional conflict. Persian Gulf producers remain central to global oil supply, but a large share of their exports depends on the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Energy …
Read More »As hot summer, blackouts loom, Iraq looks to solar power
Cathrin Schaer With so much sunlight, Iraq is very well-positioned to use solar power to help fix its annual summer electricity crisis. So why is it that Iraq’s government has only recently started to take solar power seriously? Iraq has long suffered through scorching summers that the country’s national grid …
Read More »Kazakhstan and the Iran-Israel war: Navigating risks, opportunities, and strategic neutrality
Kazakhstan, a landlocked Central Asian state with a long-standing multi-vector foreign policy, has been indirectly affected by the 2025–2026 escalation between Israel, the United States, and Iran. The conflict has created both risks and opportunities for Astana. Kazakhstan has tried to preserve pragmatic neutrality while deepening ties with Israel, Gulf states, and …
Read More »Iran promises ‘utter ruin’ if war restarts. Here’s what could happen if diplomacy fails
As negotiations between the United States and Iran edge toward a possible agreement, Tehran is increasingly signaling that any return to war would look very different from the last. US officials said Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached in talks between Tehran and Washington and was awaiting President Donald …
Read More »Trump’s Iran adventure must not end up rewarding Tehran over Hormuz
No serious policymaker should want an open-ended confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, but a deal that rewards Iran for closing or restricting the strait would create a long-term problem in exchange for short-term calm The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. In normal …
Read More »UAE’s post-OPEC strategy involves a new oil pipeline outside Strait of Hormuz. What it means for India
The new pipeline will undoubtedly make UAE less vulnerable to disruptions in Hormuz. The country is also not new to the idea of bypassing the strait. New Delhi: As conflict in West Asia raises fresh concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint—the United …
Read More »Ukrainian MP says lifting sanctions on Russian oil puts ‘question mark’ over friendship with UK
The Ukrainian MP said the decision told Russia that ‘everything can be bought and everything is for sale’Bryony GoochThursday 21 May 2026 00:47 EDT A Ukrainian politician has condemned the British government for loosening sanctions on Russian oil, saying it “puts a question mark” on the UK’s friendship with Ukraine. The government …
Read More »The UAE’s Fujairah bet: Export flexibility, energy security, and regional leverage
The UAE’s planned second Fujairah, or West-East, pipeline marks a major shift in Gulf energy security and export strategy. It matters not only because it reduces dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, but because it gives Abu Dhabi more freedom to manage exports, expand production, and strengthen its economic leverage. Announced for …
Read More »