Bab el-Mandeb

Two Arteries, One Lifeline: Somaliland and Taiwan Talk Maritime Cooperation

Somaliland and Taiwan deepen ties amid Chinese pressure, defending sovereignty and maritime trade routes from Red Sea to East Asia.

U.S. in Yemen: ‘The Only Way’ is Bombs

U.S. airstrikes target Houthis in Yemen amid rising tensions. Can military action curb their influence, or is a broader strategy needed?

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Hammer and Anvil: Washington’s Kurdish Strategy

Washington's push to arm Kurdish fighters for the Iran war hit a barrier of defiance that forced Donald Trump to meet a history of broken alliances.

Oil and Water: A Secondary Theatre of War

Black rain and chemical smog is quietly overshadowing any military gains, poisoning the air and water that millions need to survive.

Playing Both Sides: Russia and the Strategic Windfall

As Washington and Tehran engage in a brutal zugzwang, Moscow is enjoying a massive windfall by selling energy to a panicked global market.

A School Bombing Tests AI’s Liability Limits

A US strike killed up to 168 people at a girls' school in Iran last week. Investigators now believe an AI system using outdated targeting data identified it as a military site.

Mojtaba: Who is Iran’s New Strongman?

The Islamic Republic named a new Supreme Leader this week: the son of the man killed less than ten days ago.