On the evening of 1 March 2026, Sir Keir Starmer addressed the House of Commons and set out a seemingly firm boundary. Britain, he stated, would permit American forces to use selected UK bases for narrowly defined defensive operations against Iranian missile sites nothing beyond that. There would be no British aircraft conducting strikes and no deployment of troops into active combat. His language was deliberate and restrained. Yet within an hour, a drone struck the runway at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The aircraft involved had taken off before Starmer had even finished speaking.
Tag: Iran
Mojtaba Khamenei and Iran’s Legitimacy Crisis
On 12 March 2026, Iran’s state television broadcast what officials described as the first statement from the country’s newly appointed Supreme Leader. Rather than hearing directly from Mojtaba Khamenei, viewers were shown a still image of him while a news presenter read the statement aloud. There was no recorded speech, no live appearance, and no video message. The individual constitutionally designated as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, protector of the Islamic Revolution, and earthly representative of the Hidden Imam had not appeared publicly or spoken since his appointment three days earlier.
Churchill’s Oil vs. Modi’s LPG: What WW2 tells us about Energy
There is a temptation, watching India’s LPG crisis unfold in March 2026, to invoke the Second World War as a counterpoint, an era when civilisation itself was at stake, yet somehow, fuel still moved, kitchens still burned, and industrial supply chains held together well enough to sustain a global war effort. The comparison is emotionally satisfying. It is also, at first glance, historically plausible. But the data tells a more complicated and ultimately more instructive story
NATO’s Most Dangerous Member Just Got More Dangerous
When the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, every NATO member was forced to decide where it stood. Most followed Washington’s lead quietly, if not enthusiastically. Spain refused use of its bases and triggered a furious response from the White House. France and Germany called for restraint. Turkey reacted in a way that was more complex than the other countries. It condemned the strikes as a violation of international law and blocked coalition forces from using its airspace and bases. When Iran’s Supreme Leader was assassinated, Turkey publicly mourned the loss
The Four Fault Lines the Iran War just Cracked Open in Pakistan
When the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, every country in the region was forced to pick a lane. Most found one, if only rhetorically. The Gulf states condemned Iran’s retaliatory missile barrages on their soil. China called for restraint and dispatched an envoy. Turkey blocked use of its airspace. India said nothing, and meant it. Pakistan could not afford to say nothing. And it could not afford to say something.
Was the Sinking of IRIS Dena by the United States a War Crime?
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.
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
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
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.