The First Priority: Why Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed Must Put Digital Independence at the Top of the OIC’s Agenda
Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed assumes leadership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation at a moment of acute technological emergency. The fifty-seven member states of the OIC are not merely confronting an economic development gap or a governance deficit. They are operating under a structural condition in which the digital systems governing their communications,…
The Kashmir case: Why the Instrument of Accession was Kept Secret until 2016
For decades, researchers visiting the National Archives of India in New Delhi could consult the Instruments of Accession signed by the rulers of princely states that joined India after the end of British rule in 1947. The documents were there, available for scholars to examine. There was, however, one conspicuous exception: Jammu and Kashmir.…
The Gulf Slips Away: How the Makkah Pact Ended India’s Decade of Gulf Diplomacy
The formalisation of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026 marks a pivotal structural shift in the security architecture of West Asia and South Asia. Signed in the holy city of Makkah by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the trilateral…
The Indian Ocean in the Era of Great-Power Competition: Reassessing the Strategic Impact of Extra-Regional Actors on Regional Stability
The Indian Ocean has emerged as one of the most consequential geopolitical theatres of the twenty-first century. Stretching from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific through the Strait of Malacca, it connects some of the world’s fastest-growing economies while carrying nearly 80 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and a…
Redefining the “Ceasefire”: Navigating the Post-Iran War Volatility
The regional security apparatus following the intense hostilities of the 2026 Iran War has birthed a highly precarious definition of the modern ceasefire. While formal agreements like the June 2026 Islamabad Memorandum are technically holding, the reality on the ground is characterised by regular, low-intensity skirmishes and calculated proxy engagements. This volatile new paradigm…
Expansionist Afghanistan: Neutralising the Irredentist Threat
The evolving security dynamics along the Durand Line require a highly calibrated and analytical response to the increasingly hostile posture adopted by the interim administration in Kabul. The recent surge in cross-border militant violence, dramatically underscored by the June 2026 assault on a paramilitary Rangers compound in Karachi, Pakistan, reveals a dangerous escalation in…
The Unpopular War: An Analysis of the 2026 Iran Conflict’s Historic Unpopularity
The military engagement between the United States and Iran, launched on February 28, 2026, under the banner of Operation Epic Fury, has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Yet, perhaps more notably, it has shattered all modern precedents regarding domestic support for American military intervention. By June 2026, analysts have reached…
Water as a Weapon: How India’s Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty Threatens South Asia’s Future
Editorial Note: This article was published in June 2026. On the 31st of August 2026, the Court of Arbitration issued a further Award on the Status of the Indus Waters Treaty, again affirming the treaty remains in force, alongside interim measures on the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant. India has rejected this ruling as well, maintaining…
Breaking the Nuclear Deadlock: Kazakhstan’s Strategic Leverage in the US–Iran Ceasefire Negotiations
The current phase of back-channel diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran has reached a critical juncture, with the final disposition of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile emerging as the primary obstacle to a sustainable regional settlement. Following the military operations conducted by a joint United States and Israeli coalition against major Iranian nuclear sites,…
At the Edge of an Arms Race: The Limits of the NPT Review Process
The forthcoming review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) convenes at a flashpoint for the global nuclear order. Once known as the bedrock of international security, the treaty is buckling under the weight of geopolitical rivalries and rapid technological shifts. With the world’s total nuclear inventory hovering around 12,100 warheads, expectations that this…
