Iran

Mecca Pact Reorders the Region’s Power Balance

A missile barrage on Najran leaves old alliances wanting, as Saudi Arabia leans on Ankara and Islamabad for a diplomatic defence pact.

Riyadh Weighs a Yemen Offensive Against a Shrinking Economy

Saudi Arabia speaks of a naval and land offensive against Yemen's Houthis, but its own shrinking economy and calls for calm with Iran hint at hesitation.

How Turkish Drones Turned The Tide in Sudan

A drone strike on Egypt's Mediterranean coast confirms how Sudan's aerial war now radiates across borders, arms routes and South Sudan's fragile December vote.

Iran and Ukraine’s Wars Are Converging

Caspian strike on Iranian ship and warnings to Europe suggest two wars merge into one conflagration.

The US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Normalises Enrichment in the Gulf

The US-Saudi nuclear agreement may be civilian in name, but its enrichment provisions could persuade other Middle Eastern states that nuclear latency is becoming the region's new measure of power.

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Moscow’s Syria Deal Hints at Wider War Theatre

A renewed Mediterranean bases deal for Moscow and Baghdad's unproven claim of Ukrainian cells both hint at a Middle East drawn into Europe's distant war.

Mecca Pact Reorders the Region’s Power Balance

A missile barrage on Najran leaves old alliances wanting, as Saudi Arabia leans on Ankara and Islamabad for a diplomatic defence pact.

Food Security: Europe’s Next Strategic Crisis

Heatwaves, war and disrupted trade routes are pushing food prices higher, turning agriculture from a consumer issue into a strategic European vulnerability.

Kinahan Extradition Shows How Safe Havens Collapse

Daniel Kinahan's extradition from Dubai closes one chapter in a criminal network that grew by exploiting the space between Ireland, Spain and the Gulf.

Berlin’s Plan to Fill Lebanon’s Coming Void

Germany wants Europe to guard southern Lebanon once UN peacekeepers leave, only to find Ankara already courting Beirut for the same role.