SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The countries of the Persian Gulf have reached the conclusion that sustainable security will be achieved not through confrontation, but through regional engagement with Iran.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The different policy that Europeans have adopted regarding the US war against Iran stems from disagreements that have emerged between the two sides in recent years, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.
SCFR Online – Opinion: America’s inability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran and its unfortunate economic consequences have permanently shattered the belief in Washington’s global dominance.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The four-point proposal announced by Xi Jinping, President of China, can be described as a new strategic framework for “peace and stability in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Foreign policy analysis is valid when it evaluates decisions based on the information and circumstances prevailing at the time they were made, not on the basis of outcomes that only become apparent after the crisis has ended.
SCFR Online-Opinion: Sanctions are gradually transforming from classical financial instruments into complex mechanisms for the containment of technology, data, and global supply chains.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus is an attempt to redefine France’s role in Syria following the recent political developments in that country; an effort pursued within the context of great power competition and the country’s security challenges.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Middle powers such as India, Turkey, Australia, and some Persian Gulf countries are no longer marginal actors, but are redefining global power equations through balancing diplomacy.
Strategic Council Online – Note: In today’s global politics, the creation of narratives has become as important as territorial control and economic management, and has turned into the main tool of great power competition.