India’s “Connect Central Asia” Strategy will Heighten Regional Competition

India’s “Connect Central Asia” Strategy will Heighten Regional Competition

India has plans to expand the eastern branch of the North-South Transport Corridor to Kazakhstan and the rest of Central Asia. This possibility was discussed in mid-November during the bilateral Investment Forum and signifies the natural outgrowth of India’s connectivity investments in Iran. Reaching the Russian marketplace is the prime reason why India’s investing in…

Saudi Diplomatic Offensive Seeks to Put Khashoggi Behind It and Thwart Qatar

Saudi Diplomatic Offensive Seeks to Put Khashoggi Behind It and Thwart Qatar

As Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman tours friendly Arab nations in advance of the Group of 20 (G-20) industrialized nations summit in Argentina, Saudi diplomacy aims to achieve two goals: put the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi behind it and thwart Qatari efforts to benefit from the kingdom’s predicament. The Saudi campaign is producing…

Who Boosted Qassem Soleimani’s Image and Spread Iran’s Influence Throughout the Middle East?

Who Boosted Qassem Soleimani’s Image and Spread Iran’s Influence Throughout the Middle East?

Who was it that helped the Iranian General, head of the al-Quds brigade, Qassem Soleimani, to expand his influence and the circle of his allies in the Middle East? How did his name become so well-known and his reputation blown up out of all proportion? Behind Soleimani’s success we find, firstly, the US establishment, and…

Awakening a Sleeping Lion: The US-China Cold War Is Upon Us

Awakening a Sleeping Lion: The US-China Cold War Is Upon Us

“China is a sleeping lion,” Napoleon Bonaparte said. “Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” A new Cold War is upon us, only this time the giant is no longer deep asleep; stirring as it begins to wake. “China is leveraging military modernization, influence operations, and predatory economics to coerce…

Rohingya Muslims Need the World to Prevent Another Slaughter

Rohingya Muslims Need the World to Prevent Another Slaughter

While the mass killing of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar’s security forces might have subsided – at least for now, given that more than 700,000 have found temporary safety in the makeshift refugee camps in the border region of Bangladesh – the persecution and harassment of the Rohingya within Myanmar continues. Last Sunday, a boat carrying…