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…

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…

China’s Gulf Relations and Calculated Stance on the Yemen War

1 Mar 202221 Mar 2022

Posted originally to Inside Arabia on 1 March 2022. Since the 2015 outbreak of the war in Yemen, China’s position on the conflict has stemmed from its desire for stability…

Will Yemen test the limits of Israel–UAE strategic synergy?

3 Feb 20221 Mar 2022

Posted originally to The Cradle on 3 February 2022. Countering Iran’s regional influence was a major premise for Israel’s normalization with the UAE when the two states signed the Abraham…

Additional Perspectives on the UAE’s Interest in Aiding Turkey

1 Feb 20223 Feb 2022

Posted originally to Inside Arabia on 1 February 2022. - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not only normalizing its relations with Turkey but actively supporting its economy. Abu Dhabi…

The Iran-Azerbaijan gas swap deal: Did Tehran’s tough posturing pay off?

14 Dec 20211 Feb 2022

Posted originally to The Cradle on 14 December 2021. The deal ended the October-November escalation between Iran and Azerbaijan, which has featured unprecedented Iranian war games on their shared borders…

Will geoeconomics carry Saudi-Israeli relations into the future?

11 Nov 202114 Dec 2021

Posted originally to The Cradle on 11 November 2021. Saudi-Israeli relations presently stand in sharp contrast to the full normalization Israel achieved with the UAE via the August 2020 Abraham…