East Asia

UK-Starmer-China-trip

Britain’s Place In A Changing World

Keir Starmer’s reported visit to China marks a significant moment in British foreign policy. It will be the first visit by a UK prime minister since Theresa May’s trip to Beijing in 2018, and it comes at a time when relations between London and Beijing are more strained, complex, and […]

US-new-military-strategy

On The New US Military Strategy

On January 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of War published the National Defense Strategy, which is subtitled “Restoring Peace through Strength for New Golden Age of America.” One important vestige that immediately draws attention to the title of the document is that it is about defense, not war, although it […]

Iran-Trump-Israel-potential-strikes

Iran’s “Balkanization” Is Unlikely But Still Can’t Be Ruled Out

Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, all of which have been Iran’s “frenemies” since 1979 and whose military-strategic interests are increasingly converging, are expected to exploit any large-scale instability that could follow another potential round of US strikes if Trump changes his mind. The Wall Street Journal recently published a […]

US-Trump-Golden-Dome

The Golden Dome Illusion: How Trump’s Missile Shield Could Become The Most Expensive Fantasy In U.S. Military History

When Donald Trump announced plans for a new nationwide missile defense system—the so-called “Golden Dome”—he framed it as a bold leap into the future. Costing, by his estimate, $175 billion and operational within three years, the project was presented as a technological breakthrough that would finally make the United States […]

Syria-sanctions-relief-US-EU

Syria’s New Elite Amid The Lifting Of Sanctions (II)

Part I Regional backers (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey) moved quickly to lobby for sanctions relief, portraying the new Syrian authorities as pragmatic partners. Washington, however, adopted a more transactional approach. Rather than offering relief as a reward for regime change, the United States sought to make Damascus “earn” normalization. […]