SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs expert stressed: Although the final statement of the NATO summit attempted to highlight Russian “threat” and revive some type of Cold War atmosphere with Russia and to some extent China and portray a show of solidarity around common goals, however the summit and its output could neither persuade international observers nor even the member states themselves.
Strategic Council Online: By announcing a plan to launch a “European Naval Mission” for Security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, France wants to test what it has been dreaming of as a “European NATO” for years, an institution that has neither been consolidated in thinking nor it is applicable in practice.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: By concluding military deals with Egypt and India, Russia seeks to challenge US arms sales and development on one hand, and attract traditional US allies by expanding its military influence, on the other hand.
Shoaib Bahman – Expert on Russian Affairs
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Any insecurity on the international waterways will not only disrupt the security and infrastructure of the regional countries, but will also increase the insecurity of international politics and economics due to the link between world economy and politics and the region.
Nozar Shafiei – Expert on Foreign Policy Issues
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said the US-North Korea talks are not very clear, noting that although the issue of North Korean disarmament is important to Americans, it is not Washington’s only goal. The Americans are playing with North Korea in the region and do not want this issue to be solved easily.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.