At 5:08 in the morning of March 4, 2026, a distress call crackled out from a position roughly 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka. By the time Sri Lankan naval vessels reached the coordinates, IRIS Dena, an Iranian Moudge-class frigate, commissioned in 2021, carrying approximately 180 sailors had already vanished beneath the Indian Ocean. What remained were spreading oil slicks, floating debris, and men treading water far from shore. The US government later confirmed, with apparent pride, that one of its nuclear-powered attack submarines had fired a single Mark 48 torpedo at the vessel.
Category: Analysis
Taiwan Didn’t Just Survive Isolation. It Turned it into Leverage
Taiwan sits at the centre of one of the defining geopolitical contests of our time. As the United States and China compete over semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical supply chains, a self-governed island of 23 million people has become strategically indispensable. Yet Taiwan’s influence was not an accident of geography. It was built deliberately under conditions of diplomatic isolation. Since 1971, when UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 transferred China’s seat from Taipei to Beijing, Taiwan has existed in political ambiguity
After Khamenei: Iran’s Uncertain Path to a New Supreme Leader
The death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would represent one of the most consequential political turning points in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, Khamenei has served as the central authority within Iran’s political system. The Supreme Leader holds ultimate control over the military, the judiciary, intelligence services, and nuclear policy, making the position the most powerful office in the country. With Khamenei gone, Iran would face an uncertain leadership transition that could reshape both its domestic political order and its regional strategy
Is Modern Industrial Policy a Return to Mercantilism?
In the post-Cold War decades, globalisation developed along a distinctly liberal economic logic. The US-led multilateral trade regime was conceived essentially as a framework under which open markets, comparative advantage, and multilateral trade would lead to prosperity and stability. Production networks extended beyond borders, but this process was driven by cost efficiency and market rationalisation, not strategic government direction.
Assassination of Khamenei, India’s Silence and the Crisis of International Morality
After bunker-buster bombs dropped by American bombers killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with his merely 14-month-old granddaughter, close relatives, and high-ranking officials, the Iranian government declared him a “martyr” and announced 40 days of national mourning. The incident has drawn mixed reactions globally. Some countries condemned it, while others maintained silence or expressed support. However, in recent days, a strange trend was visible on social media. After the news of Khamenei’s killing, in some sections of India there was more celebration than mourning
Evolving Dimensions of India’s Internal Security
The Indian military is recognised as the fourth most potent armed force globally and the recent success of Chandrayaan 3 has cemented India’s status as the fifth great space power. Whereas on the diplomatic front, India’s vaccine diplomacy during the covid-19 pandemic and the role of net security provider in the Indo-Pacific coupled with its leadership of the Global South has affirmed India’s position as a Vishwaguru (teacher to the world) within the international community. According to Morgan Stanley, India stands at the cusp of a transformational decade poised to become the third-largest economy by overtaking Germany by 2028.
The Draft Defence Acquisition Procedure 2026
The Draft Defence Acquisition Procedure 2026 (DAP 2026) is the latest proposed revision of India’s defence procurement architecture. Unveiled by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 10 February 2026, the draft aims to fundamentally transform how the Indian armed forces acquire critical systems, weapon platforms and defence technologies under the capital budget. Its objective is to replace the existing DAP 2020 with a more streamlined, self-reliant and strategically responsive acquisition framework that aligns procurement with India’s evolving security imperatives and domestic industrial growth.
India-U.S. Trade: A Strategic Reset in an Uneven Global Economy
In early February 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled an interim framework for a trade agreement, marking an important milestone that goes beyond a simple commercial arrangement: it highlighted a developing economic partnership influenced by both geopolitical factors and market needs. This agreement, which decreases effective tariffs on Indian products entering the American market and enhances reciprocal access, was formulated amid previous trade conflicts and tariff disputes between the two nations
Strategic Dynamics and Stakes in the Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks
For twenty years, Iran’s nuclear program has been a key point of contention in U.S.–Iran relations. After the U.S. exited the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran gradually increased its enrichment levels beyond the established limits. Diplomatic attempts in 2025 led to indirect talks facilitated by Oman and Italy, but these efforts fell apart due to escalating tensions, particularly following a 12-day conflict involving U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities in June 2025.
War without an End: Disability and the Politics of Survival
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities described disabled people as rights-holders even during war, not as charity recipients. Article 11 of the Convention acknowledges that armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies exacerbate vulnerabilities, rather than just creating new ones. The framework considers disability as a pre-existing social reality, making neglect during war as a failure of state responsibility. Despite this, implementation during prolonged wars remains weak, exposing the gap between legal recognition and lived reality.