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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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 – Europeans say that if the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan and US governments is to be a sign of confidence in the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban must take further confidence-building steps. Therefore, from the European point of view, the release of 5,000 Taliban forces, even without a positive outlook for a peace agreement, is tactically very dangerous.
Nozar Shafiee – Expert and Researcher on Subcontinent Issues
Strategic Council Online – An Afghan affairs analyst said that the process of dialogue between the Afghans and its future does not seem dark: “Given the existing challenges, we will certainly not see a comprehensive agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the short term, but we can expect the process of dialogue gradually reduce the volume of disputes.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of Afghanistan developments says the recent Taliban positions show some flexibility in the group’s past positions. “If there is to be an agreement between the government and the Taliban in the Afghan peace process, the Taliban integration process in the society must take place with necessary expediency and wisdom and must be heeded by the government and establishment.in Afghanistan.
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.