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: United States
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
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.
DAVOS 2026: Promises, Power, and the Politics Beneath
The World Economic Forum held its 2026 Annual Meeting with the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” once again transforming the alpine silence of Davos into motorcades, guarded passageways, and rushed diplomacy. This year, however, the atmosphere was everything from formal. Davos 2026 took place in a world that is becoming more and more defined by technological advancements, geopolitical division, and concerns about climate change.
Trump’s Greenland Obsession: More of National Security Vulnerability and Less Minerals
President Donald Trump said on January 9 that his administration will take action on Greenland “whether they like it or not,” and this time it seems serious as he pushes to acquire the Danish territory for the United States. After January 3, when Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was ousted from Caracas, the American President is adamant about seizing control of the 836,330-square-mile island of Greenland, which is bigger than Alaska.
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.
How Criminal Law Became a Tool of U.S. Foreign Policy in Trump’s Maduro Operation
In the early hours of January 3, 2026, more than 150 U.S. military aircraft launched from bases across the Western Hemisphere, converging on Caracas. By dawn, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was aboard the USS Iwo Jima, bound for New York to face narcoterrorism charges. The operation, codenamed “Absolute Resolve,” represented the most audacious military action against a foreign head of state since the 1989 Panama invasion. But unlike traditional warfare, this operation unfolded under a different legal banner entirely: law enforcement.
The Caracas Raid, State Criminalisation, and America’s Domestic Calculus
In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. Special Forces carried out a daring raid in Caracas, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This significant military operation involved over 150 aircraft neutralising Venezuelan air defences to extract the couple. It marked a major shift in U.S. foreign policy. The raid was not spontaneous; it was the result of a long-term effort by the U.S. to oust Maduro, an authoritarian leader accused of serious corruption and drug-related crimes. President Donald Trump defended the action by labelling Maduro a criminal instead of a statesman, stating that the U.S. would manage Venezuela to help with a government transition.