Three places will signal when this war evolves: the Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island, and the hills above southern Lebanon. Everything else is noise. Rahul PAWA | X - @imrahulpawa There is a particular kind of tension that settles over a theatre of war when everything is in place and nothing has yet happened. It … Continue reading Washington’s Narrowest Gamble: A Seizure, Not an Invasion
A single-day $23.5 billion approval marks the largest concentrated U.S. arms sale commitment to the West Asia since the 1990-91 coalition build-up, a direct counter to Iranian attacks on regional energy infrastructure.Rahul PAWA | x - imrahulpawaOn a single day last week, Washington approved more arms for West Asia than most nations spend on defence … Continue reading Washington Arms West Asia
Post-war uncertainty in West Asia pose serious challenges with jostle for control of oil assets, ruling Iran with an iron fist and Bharat has its task cut out. K.A.Badarinath US President Donald J Trump’s statement on ‘ending the war’ shortly cannot be taken on its face value. Nor do the markets, stakeholders expect the war … Continue reading A Fine Balancing Act!
Inside Iran's Military Mosaic
China did not start this war and will not finish it. What it will do is walk away with something more valuable than victory; the data, the proof, the blueprint for the confrontation it is quietly rehearsing on the other side of the world in the western Pacific. Rahul PAWA | March 3, 2026 | … Continue reading As Iran Fights the Allies, China Learns from It
Currency, oil, bullion, commodities markets volatility, contraction in consumption demand, disruption in supply chain, uncertainty on external front may be felt in medium term across geographies. K.A.Badarinath None can vouch for global economic certainty in medium term given about half a dozen conflicts happening simultaneously. Most of them are bloody and involve loss in large … Continue reading Bharat May Brace Up for Post-War Economic Impact
CCP spent six decades cultivating Palestinian movements, embedding influence in Western activism and positioning itself as the indispensable power in a post-American West Asia. Britain just made that job easier. Rahul Pawa On 21 September 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer broke with decades of U.K. policy formally recognising the state of Palestine. It was Britain's … Continue reading Britain’s Palestine Recognition Hands China the Mediterranean
Only a true test, a moment of crisis, will reveal whether this new alliance is as ironclad as advertised, or more of a strategic signal than a binding shield. Rahul Pawa When Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a sweeping mutual defense agreement in Riyadh this month, it marked a strategic pivot. The agreement, termed a … Continue reading Is Islamic Alliance in Offing, With Ambiguities
Israel-Iran clash reshaped West Asia's strategic chessboard with US getting in. India will have to display maturity, dexterity, openness and exercise its strategic autonomy. N. C. Bipindra The Middle East was thrust into dramatic escalation of hostilities as Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," a comprehensive preemptive military campaign against Iranian targets, taking out military and … Continue reading Lions, Shadows & Silk Roads
Opening of magnificent Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi mark tectonic shift in India - UAE friendship that’s transcended commercial, diplomatic & strategic issues BAPS Hindu Mandir that rose majestically in Abu Dhabi is a symbol of Middle Eastern tolerance of different faiths and cross-cultural mosaic. This architectural wonder represents harmony and understanding across cultures and … Continue reading Beyond Brick and Mortar!
CIHS - Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies 