Author: Jennylyn Gleave

Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s Hormuz strategy is facing growing international opposition as Gulf states and major energy-importing nations demand freedom of navigation. The Strait remains strategically vital, carrying a major share of global oil and LNG supplies despite efforts to develop alternative routes. Tehran retains significant asymmetric capabilities, but prolonged disruption risks strengthening international cooperation against Iran. The Strait of Hormuz has become more than a battlefield in the U.S.-Iran confrontation: it is a test of whether any state can use a global maritime chokepoint as a political weapon. Six months into the conflict, evidence increasingly suggests that Tehran’s attempt…

China-Japan tensions are intensifying as Chinese warships increasingly operate near Japan’s southwestern islands, particularly around Amami-Oshima and the First Island Chain. Japan is rapidly expanding its defence capabilities, with record military spending focused on long-range missiles, drones, AI, missile defence and maritime surveillance. China retains a major economic and military advantage, making Taiwan, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and maritime encounters potential flashpoints for a wider East Asian crisis. The waters between China and Japan are becoming increasingly dangerous. Chinese warships are sailing with growing frequency through maritime passages close to Japan’s southwestern islands, while Tokyo is responding with missiles, drones, radar,…

Dan Driscoll resignation: The Army secretary’s departure follows months of reported friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and comes during an active US war with Iran. Iran war: The continuing American campaign against Tehran is placing extraordinary demands on US forces, missile defence, logistics and military leadership across the Middle East. Pentagon shake-up: Driscoll’s exit follows other senior military leadership changes, raising questions about institutional stability while Washington remains engaged in a major conflict. WASHINGTON — The resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has opened a new question inside Washington’s national-security establishment: is the latest Pentagon shake-up merely the culmination…

SCO Summit 2026 brings major Eurasian powers together in Bishkek as the organization gains influence in global diplomacy and geopolitics. SCO geopolitics is increasingly shaped by China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India and Central Asian states, with Türkiye also seeking deeper engagement. Strait of Hormuz tensions and the Middle East war have elevated energy security, trade routes and regional stability on the SCO agenda. BISHKEK — The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has entered what could increasingly be described as the “SCO moment” in global politics, as the leaders of China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India, Türkiye and Central Asian states converged in Kyrgyzstan…

Trump Venezuela oil reserves: Washington says it has secured majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves. The agreement could shift Venezuela’s energy sector away from China and place American companies at the center of its future investment and production. Maduro’s removal has cleared a major political obstacle, allowing Washington to reshape Venezuela’s oil industry while simultaneously pressuring Iran’s oil exports to China. Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States has secured majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves is much more than an energy agreement. It could mark…

China replacing Russia in Central Asia is becoming increasingly visible as Beijing expands its military sales across the region. China is particularly significant in fighters, missiles, drones and advanced air-defence systems. China replacing Russia in Central Asia could mark the end of Moscow’s decades-long monopoly over regional defence procurement. For three decades after the Soviet collapse, Russia enjoyed an almost unchallenged position as Central Asia’s principal military supplier. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan inherited Soviet aircraft, tanks, artillery, air-defence systems, maintenance networks and military training structures. Buying Russian equipment therefore meant upgrading an existing ecosystem rather than rebuilding an…

Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Iran’s founding Supreme Leader, publicly urged the IRGC to support a potential deal with the United States, citing the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah as a model of strategic compromise. Iran’s economy is under severe strain from US sanctions: the rial hit a record low of 2.02 million per dollar, petrol shortages are widespread, inflation exceeds 88%, food prices have soared, and unemployment has climbed to multi-year highs. Pakistan continues to play a key mediation role, encouraging Iranian leaders to finalize an agreement while the speech draws attention among pragmatic voices inside Iran and international observers. Seyyed Hassan…

Economic isolation of Iran is becoming the central pillar of Trump’s next phase of pressure on Tehran. The UAE’s move to suspend financial and economic dealings with Iran suggests Washington’s secondary-sanctions strategy is influencing third countries. China remains the decisive test of whether Trump can turn economic pressure into genuine strategic isolation of Tehran. Economic isolation of Iran is no longer a secondary instrument of American policy. Under President Donald Trump, it is becoming the central mechanism through which Washington is trying to convert military pressure into strategic leverage over Tehran. For decades, the United States demonstrated that it could…

Trump Middle East allies see continued U.S. military presence as a sign that Washington will not abandon them during a crisis. The USS George Washington deployment demonstrates that extending the Iran ceasefire does not necessarily mean American military disengagement. Trump’s strategy combines diplomacy with military leverage, allowing Washington to negotiate while preserving deterrence. The United States and Iran may have agreed to extend their fragile ceasefire for another 60 days, but Washington is sending a clear message to its Middle Eastern allies: a ceasefire does not mean American disengagement. The planned deployment of the USS George Washington to replace the…

Iran-US talks are on the verge of restarting following intensive back-channel shuttle diplomacy led by Islamabad and key regional partners. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that constructive signals over recent days indicate both parties are approaching a formal arrangement. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian leadership in Tehran with fresh proposals to address complex terms, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomatic push comes immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded economic compensation from Tehran, adding urgency to mediation efforts ISLAMABAD — In a historic geopolitical development that could alter the trajectory of the Middle…