Author: Rebecca Frank

Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan marks another dangerous expansion of the U.S.-Iran conflict across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are increasingly exposed as Iranian and Iran-backed forces target energy infrastructure, military facilities and shipping. With Brent crude approaching $100 a barrel, direct Gulf retaliation against Iran could transform the current war into a full-scale regional conflict. The Middle East is entering a far more dangerous phase of the U.S.-Iran war: what began as a confrontation between Washington and Tehran is increasingly becoming a regional war involving oil infrastructure, shipping lanes, American bases and…

US-China Nvidia Chip Diplomacy is set to take center stage as President Xi Jinping prepares for a high-stakes summit in Washington following historic low bilateral relations caused by tariffs and rare earth restrictions. Negotiators are considering sales of advanced AI processors—such as modified Blackwell architectures—as a primary diplomatic lever to bridge strategic divides with Beijing. The South Caucasus peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan served as a crucial proving ground, where Washington authorized 70,000 Nvidia GPUs for Armenia’s Firebird data center as a tangible peace dividend. Former approvals for 70,000 Nvidia GB300 servers to UAE’s G42 and Saudi Arabia’s Humain…

Taiwan cannot match China ship-for-ship or aircraft-for-aircraft, making asymmetric warfare central to its defence strategy. U.S. weapons, including F-16 fighters, HIMARS, Javelin missiles and drones, are strengthening Taiwan’s ability to impose costs on a potential Chinese invasion. A dispersed force of missiles, drones, submarines and smaller warships could exploit the geography of the Taiwan Strait and deny China a quick victory. Taiwan faces a strategic paradox: China possesses overwhelming military and economic advantages, yet the island does not necessarily need to defeat the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to preserve its de facto autonomy. Its more realistic objective is to make…

Strait of Hormuz crisis: Shipping traffic through the strategic waterway has fallen sharply, exposing the vulnerability of global energy flows and the limits of military deterrence. Pakistan Saudi Arabia Türkiye defence pact: The three countries are developing a collective security framework that could reduce regional dependence on Washington. US influence in Middle East: The Hormuz crisis may not force an immediate American withdrawal, but it could accelerate the decline of US political indispensability across the region. The Strait of Hormuz crisis is exposing the limits of American power in the Gulf while accelerating a new regional security architecture led by…

Iceland EU referendum: Voters rejected reopening EU accession talks by 52.8% to 47.2%, with turnout reaching 82.5%. Iceland fisheries: Control over fishing waters, national resources and sovereignty proved more powerful than arguments for deeper EU economic and security integration. Iceland and Europe: The referendum does not represent an Icelandic withdrawal from Europe; Reykjavík remains deeply integrated with the EU through the EEA and Schengen while retaining political independence. Iceland has rejected a government proposal to reopen European Union accession negotiations, delivering a narrow but politically significant victory for national sovereignty, control of fisheries and economic independence over deeper political integration…

China crude oil stockpiles provided an unprecedented strategic buffer, allowing Beijing to slash imports by over 20% and insulate its domestic economy during Middle East supply disruptions. President Xi Jinping’s decade-long emphasis on national energy security elevated reserve capacity to between 1 billion and 1.4 billion barrels—equivalent to roughly 120 days of imports. Discounted crude purchases from Iran and Russia via shadow fleet transactions enabled China to build massive strategic reserves at bargain rates prior to the conflict. Structural shifts including rapid EV adoption, renewable integration, and refined fuel export bans further reduced Beijing’s reliance on foreign oil imports. Before…

Trump Economic D-Day Iran marks a major escalation, with Washington preparing unprecedented financial pressure on Tehran and entities that continue doing business with Iran. Iran enters the confrontation with soaring inflation, a collapsing rial, fuel shortages, unemployment and declining purchasing power. Tehran is threatening retaliation through the Strait of Hormuz, creating the possibility that an economic confrontation could rapidly become a wider regional crisis. WASHINGTON/TEHRAN — The Trump administration is opening a new and potentially decisive front against Iran today, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declaring that an “economic D-Day” has begun and promising the most sweeping financial offensive yet…

Xi-Trump Summit serves as the vital geopolitical anchor for a global economy navigating tariff wars, supply chain disruptions, and escalations in the Middle East. Bilateral trade volumes between the U.S. and China plummeted to $414.6 billion under intense tariff stacking before stabilising under a calibrated truce. Corporate titans, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang, accompanied the U.S. delegation to safeguard semiconductor supply chains and consumer access. Strategic negotiations over maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz highlight how the Iran conflict poses a direct threat to global energy security and inflation. The long-anticipated summit between Chinese President Xi…

Mecca Summit Istanbul could determine whether the Regional Four becomes a functioning security mechanism. The meeting will test the future of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and its collective-defence principle. The Summit in Istanbul also carries implications for Iran, regional deterrence and global energy security. Mecca Summit Istanbul is emerging as a significant diplomatic milestone in the rapidly changing security landscape of the Middle East and South Asia. Türkiye’s invitation to Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for consultations in Istanbul comes as Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan move to translate their new defence partnership into a…

Syria Makkah Defence Pact: Syria is emerging as a potential future member of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as Damascus seeks stronger regional security partnerships. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani’s Pakistan visit comes after Israel’s latest strikes on Syria and Islamabad’s strong condemnation of the attacks. Egypt is already considering joining the pact, raising the possibility that the Pakistan-Saudi-Türkiye framework could evolve into a broader regional defence architecture. ISLAMABAD — Syria could emerge as the next major candidate for membership of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as Damascus deepens its strategic engagement with Pakistan and regional powers confront mounting…