U.S. fighting China on the wrong battlefield
While the U.S. has been focused on preparing for the kinetic warfare battlefield, China has been registering big wins on the political warfare battlefield. You can see it all over the Pacific Islands.
Indian Ocean
IRGC Turning Commercial Ships Into “Floating Terror Bases”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been covertly converting commercial ships into launch platforms for missiles, drones, and commando raids, Israel disclosed on May...
Flash Briefs
The Arsenal of Tyranny
Tehran arms jihadis, terrorists, and neo-imperialists
Op-eds
With US distracted, Tehran and Beijing tighten embrace in the Middle East
The US pivot to the Pacific may be all about China, but it misses Beijing’s moves to fill a US void elsewhere, write a team from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Op-eds
Israeli-Saudi Deal Over Two Islands Is a Step Toward Peace
Israel and Saudi Arabia have reportedly agreed on a security arrangement enabling Egypt to transfer to the Saudis two strategic islands near Israel. In return for Israel’s acquiescence, Saudi Arabia is...
Insights
New Mideast task force can counter Iranian arms smuggling, but more capabilities are needed
Eyeing the continued flow of Iranian weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, the Combined Maritime Forces, a naval partnership comprising 34 nations led by U.S. Central Command, established a new multinational...
Op-eds
‘Indo-Pacific is a priority: Message from White House document’
Alexandria, VA.: In this edition of “Indo-Pacific: Behind the Headlines”, we speak with Col. David Maxwell (Ret.), a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C. about...
Op-eds
China, Russia, and Iran Hold Trilateral Naval Drill
China and Russia, America’s increasingly aligned great power adversaries, teamed up with Iran last month to hold a trilateral naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman and northern Indian Ocean, which Tehran...
Policy Briefs
What Will Stop the Islamic Republic of Iran
Can the Islamic Republic of Iran — the radical theocratic regime, that is, as opposed to the nation it tyrannizes — fall by the year 2030? That would be a moonshot for the Jewish people, though...
Op-eds
Biden Can No Longer Ignore Growing Iran-China Ties
Washington may be tired of the Middle East, but Beijing is just getting started.
Op-eds
‘It’s time for an Indo-Pacific charter’
Common cause, common challenge, common values, common charter: Paul Giarra
Op-eds
Sudanese Military Looks to Play Russia Against the U.S.
Speaking to Sputnik News last week in his first interview since his October 25 military putsch, Sudan’s top general, Abdul-Fattah al-Burhan, offered a qualified commitment to a previously suspended agreement...
Policy Briefs
A Unified and Capable “Quad” Is Bad News for the CCP
The Australian, Indian, Japanese, and American heads of state met at the White House last month for the first-ever in-person “Quad” Leaders’ Summit. Pictures of the four leaders standing shoulder-to-shoulder...
Policy Briefs
Iran Joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) unanimously agreed on Friday to elevate Iran to full membership. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s entry into the SCO strengthens Tehran’s relationships...
Policy Briefs
Will Turkey’s Détente with Egypt and the Gulf Extend to the Horn of Africa?
Although the extent to which the climate of détente will affect the Horn is not certain, the relative calm offers a unique opportunity for Washington to claim leadership and prevent the kind of violent rivalry that proved disastrous in Syria and Libya.
Op-eds
AUKUS is a big deal, for everyone
In India, the already entrenched and active French lobby in Delhi will likely use this to try drive a wedge between the US and India (something they already work on) in part to protect/promote their sales. The catastrophic US withdrawal from Afghanistan may also be used as an example of US ‘unreliability.’
Op-eds
Beijing Eyes New Military Bases Across the Indo-Pacific
Tanzania, Cambodia, and the UAE are on China’s wish list—and now Kiribati, within striking distance of Hawaii.
Op-eds
‘China’s military budget much bigger than what it reveals’
‘China already has its 3,000 km range DF-17 maneuverable hypersonic missile to take out India’s S-400s.’
Op-eds
‘Like-minded nations must work together to make China treat others with respect’
David R. Stilwell, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) from June 2019 to early 2021, speaks to The Sunday Guardian. In this edition of Indo-Pacific: Behind...
Op-eds
Biden Gets It Wrong in the Pacific and Afghanistan
To support the Biden administration’s precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Pentagon plans to shift the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group from its normal area of responsibility in...