Is Qatar the means for a US comeback in Eurasia?

21 Mar 202212 Apr 2022

Posted originally to The Cradle on 21 March 2022. The US’ designation of Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) carries more geopolitical significance than is immediately evident. It in…

From Panjshir to Baku: Iran’s search for a new hard-power Strategy in Eurasia

3 Nov 202111 Nov 2021

Posted originally to The Cradle on 3 November 2021. Iran’s recent reactions to events in Afghanistan’s northern reaches and the Iran- Armenia-Azerbaijan border area were sudden and dramatic. Viewed in…

Turkish geopolitics and the kabul airport saga

14 Sep 20213 Nov 2021

Posted originally to the Russian International Affairs Council on 10 September 2021. The Taliban’s ultimate agreement to a prominent Turkish security presence at Afghanistan’s only airport completes an important power-play for the…

Why Hamas’ Russian diplomacy initiative could bother Israel

9 Aug 2022

Posted originally to MANARA Magazine on 8 July 2022. In early May, Moscow accepted the request of a visiting Hamas delegation to mediate between rival Palestinian factions. This diplomatic achievement gives Hamas…

Will Iraq’s regional diplomatic initiatives challenge the Abraham Accords?

22 Jul 20227 Aug 2022

Published originally by the Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft. Reports from Iraq say that Baghdad is subtly expanding its diplomatic role from mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia to arranging Iranian dialogue with…

Belt and road: can China and Russia extend their Central Asian coexistence to the South Caucasus?

9 Jul 2022

Posted originally to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on 5 July 2022. Rather than challenge Russia’s dominance over Central Asian security affairs, China has largely used it as an…

How the Ukraine Crisis Benefits Iran’s Eurasia Strategy

7 Jul 202222 Jul 2022

Originally posted to the Carnegie Endowment's Sada Journal on 7 July 2021. For Iran, the rupture in Western-Russian relations over the Ukraine crisis may mean an opportunity to boost its…

Iran’s drone factory in Tajikistan: A boon for Russia or a challenge?

27 Jun 20227 Jul 2022

Posted originally to MANARA Magazine on 27 June 2022. Iran’s recent opening of a drone factory in Tajikistan[i] is a significant development for Russia. As Dushanbe’s security and defense patron, Moscow…

How China’s belt and road diplomacy could end the Ukraine conflict for good

15 Jun 202227 Jun 2022

Posted originally to South China Morning Post (SCMP) on 15 June 2022. A post-war scenario in Ukraine that favours both Russian and Western interests is key to a sustainable ceasefire.…

MbS-Kushner investments could complicate vital Saudi regional diplomacy

5 Jun 20225 Jun 2022

Posted originally to The Cradle on 5 June 2022. Saudi Arabia is slated for a complete socioeconomic overhaul under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MbS) ambitious Vision2030, which aims to…

Decoding India’s Utility to the Abraham Accords

27 Apr 202215 Jun 2022

Published originally by Inside Arabia on 27 April 2022. While the 2020 Abraham Accords’ official signatories were Israel, the US, and the UAE, followed by Bahrain soon thereafter, India has…

Were Iran’s Kurdistan strikes aimed at Turkish-Israeli entente?

12 Apr 202227 Apr 2022

Posted originally to The Cradle on 11 April 2022. Iran’s 13 March missile strikes on purported Israeli strategic centers in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) was met with swift condemnation by Turkey. This is indicative…