Open Dialogue Research Journal
This month has seen the United Nations issue two reports alleging the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United States in two theatres of engagement. In one, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran concluded that the US had committed war […]
Oil markets have spent months absorbing bad news out of the Middle East with relative composure, cushioned by the fact that the war between the US, Israel, and Iran hadn’t yet meaningfully disrupted the physical flow of crude. That cushion appears to be wearing thin. Brent crude climbed past $106 […]
For much of Donald Trump’s political career, the promise to end America’s “endless wars” was not a marginal talking point but one of the central arguments of his appeal to voters. The message was straightforward: Washington had spent decades sending American power overseas while ordinary citizens were left to deal […]
Pakistan’s promise to defend Saudi Arabia is becoming harder to separate from Yemen’s war. On September 18, it was reported that army chief, Asim Munir, had urged Iran to restrain the Houthis amid attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure. The intervention reveals Islamabad’s immediate and practical preference: using its […]
Halder sets her alarm for 1am not to get ahead of the workdayangladesh-Dhaka, but because that’s the only hour when Dhaka’s gas pressure runs strong enough for her to actually cook for her family. That single detail captures something larger than one exhausted bank employee’s routine: a war between the […]
For decades, Europe and the United States treated their trans-Atlantic relationship as more than an alliance. It was the political infrastructure of the Western order itself. Washington provided much of the military power, Europe benefited from security and economic stability, and both sides presented a common vision of international governance […]
The latest confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz exposes a dangerous contradiction: measures intended to restore deterrence may be deepening the insecurity they promise to resolve. On September 8, Washington said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers following missile attacks on an American warship. Tehran subsequently claimed attacks against ships […]
Perhaps the most interesting are Russia’s expectation of a “crisis of overproduction” in China and its opposition to Iran’s proposed tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent interview with RBC was more than just the standard fare since he shared some interesting tidbits about his […]
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was not created by the US-Israeli war on Iran alone, but the war transformed it from a diplomatic possibility into a strategic necessity. Signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan on August 7, 2026, it declares that an armed attack on one member will be […]
Once again, the White House is facing a crisis of genre. Trump is repeating himself. Not long ago he promised to completely destroy Iran’s centuries-old civilization. Now the master of the White House is threatening to launch against Iran “the most destructive economic operation ever undertaken against any country.” Iran, […]
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