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.
Tag: Iran
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
Escalation in West Asia: U.S.-Israel Joint Offensive and Iran’s Retaliation
On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel initiated coordinated large-scale strikes against targets in Iran, marking a significant escalation in the longstanding tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile capabilities, and regional influence. The operation, designated “Operation Epic Fury” by the United States and “Operation Roaring Lion” by Israel, commenced in the early hours local time with explosions reported across multiple Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran
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.
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2026
As we moved into 2026, the world is no longer merely “watching” conflicts – it is living with them. Civil war in Sudan has deepened into a regional humanitarian catastrophe, Ukraine remains locked in a war of attrition with global consequences, India-Pakistan tensions continue to cast a long shadow over South Asia and multiple theatres across Central Africa are sliding into protracted violence. This special newsletter revisits the evolving conflict landscape and examine what these wars reveal about power, governance and the fragility of the current global order and why their trajectories in 2026 matter far beyond their immediate borders.
Economic Collapse and Political Revolt: Iran on the Edge
Since the last week of December 2025, Iran has seen its largest uprising in years. The immediate cause was the collapse of the national currency, the rial. Shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar shut their stores in protest, sparking a nationwide demand for political change. What started as an economic complaint quickly escalated into a direct challenge to the theocracy. The unrest spread to at least 78 cities and over 200 locations by early January 2026. This movement, met with harsh repression, has tested the regime’s stability.
Trump’s Middle East Gamble
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term in January 2025, the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East has undergone profound changes. The administration’s renewed assertiveness has reignited longstanding disputes and strategic rivalries, most notably among Iran, Israel, and the United States. This article provides a comprehensive, practical analysis of these developments—detailing U.S. military engagements, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Israel’s strategic recalculations, and the broader regional and international ramifications.
Balochistan Terror Attack: A New Phase in Insurgency?
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet most underdeveloped province, has been a hotspot for insurgency, terrorism, and geopolitical contestation. The recent terror attack in Balochistan, which targeted security forces, infrastructure, and civilians, has once again underscored the province’s precarious security situation. Beyond its domestic impact, the attack carries significant regional and international implications, particularly for Pakistan’s relations with India, China, Iran, and Western powers. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the attack’s origins, the regional and global responses, and the effectiveness of counterterrorism efforts.
Afghan Refugee Crisis: Assessing Pakistan’s Shifting Policies
Least-developed countries host the largest number of refugees, according to UNHCR. In Asia and the Pacific, 90% of all refugees are concentrated in three nations: Iran (3.4 million), Pakistan (1.7 million), and Bangladesh (952,400), with Iran and Pakistan sheltering one of the largest Afghan refugee populations. Once a safe haven for Afghans fleeing persecution, Pakistan’s stance has now drastically shifted. The Pakistan Interior Ministry has advised all Afghan nationals to leave by March 31, 2025, with Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders required to depart voluntarily before the deadline or face deportation from April 1, 2025. This directive falls under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP), in effect since November 1, 2023.
Iran in Syria: A Strategic Setback, Not a Defeat
The blitzkrieg campaign by the Syrian rebel coalition headed by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani ended the five-decade rule of the Assad family in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad was removed from power after an arduous and long decade of protest by the rebel groups. Amidst the dramatic shift, the future stakes of Iran in Syria have come into the spotlight. Being a prominent ally of Assad, Iran has faced strategic setback in a country crucial to enhancing its strategic depth. Nevertheless, it is too early to determine the aspect of strategic defeat as Tehran has the vitality to recalibrate its policy.