Middle East

May 9, 2026

Tariffs in Yuan: Is Iran Ringing the Bell on the Petrodollar Age?

Iran’s push to collect Strait of Hormuz oil transit tariffs in Chinese yuan signals a real, though gradual, erosion of the US “petrodollar” system at the margins, but it does not yet

Middle East·Opinion

April 26, 2026

The Myth of China’s ‘Neutrality’ on Iran

China is not mainly arming Iran with finished weapons; it is enabling Iran’s missile and drone ecosystem through dual-use chemicals, electronics, machine parts, and financial networks. That distinction matters, because Trump’s threatened

Americas·Middle East·Opinion

April 20, 2026

Blockade Today, Leverage Forever

In the longer term, the balance of leverage in Hormuz is tilting decisively toward Iran—not the United States. At first glance, Washington’s move appears bold. The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s

Is the Strait of Hormuz Truly Open for Business?

Iran’s recent declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” sounds like a step toward de-escalation amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. But the fine print reveals a waterway still fraught with

April 18, 2026

Middle East·Opinion

China Is Testing the Boundaries of the Iran War

China is no longer merely a distant benefactor of Iran. If U.S. intelligence reports are correct, Beijing is edging into something much more dangerous: active enabling of Iran’s wartime rebuild. According to The

April 12, 2026

Americas·Asia·Middle East·Opinion

Can’t Say? Or Won’t Say? Is Trump’s Uncertainty a Weapon?

President Trump’s cryptic remark—“I can’t tell you” whether the war with Iran is winding down or escalating—captures the fog of a conflict now entering its seventh week. Spoken on April 6 amid

April 7, 2026

Americas·Middle East·Opinion

How America Rescues Its Own

The rescue of the U.S. pilot from Iran is not just a story of tactical daring; it is a story about what the American state still claims to be able to do

April 6, 2026

Americas·Middle East·Opinion

Meloni’s Gulf Mission: Pragmatism Over Posturing in a Powder Keg

When Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni touched down in Jeddah on April 3rd, she did something no other leader from the European Union, NATO, G7 or G20 had dared since the U.S.-Israeli

April 5, 2026

Europe·Middle East·Opinion

The Recession Trigger No One Wants to Admit

On February 28th, the United States and Israel launched a surprise campaign of nearly 900 airstrikes against Iranian military targets, nuclear sites, and leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering a

March 27, 2026

Americas·Middle East·Opinion

Why a Desperate Iran May Turn to Terrorism

In the chaotic aftermath of Operation Epic Fury, the February 28, 2026, U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and shattered Iran’s top military command, the Islamic Republic stands at the

March 24, 2026

Middle East·Opinion

China and Hormuz: The Vulnerability That Isn’t

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most dangerous energy chokepoint: a 21-mile-wide slit between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20 million barrels of oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural

March 18, 2026

Asia·Middle East·Opinion

No More Iraqs? Here’s an Iran

President Donald Trump campaigned twice on a promise to end “reckless” regime-change wars; in office again, he is now prosecuting one of the most ambitious regime-change projects in modern U.S. history. In

March 11, 2026

Americas·Middle East·Opinion

China’s Iran Strategy: Buy the Oil, Skip the Risk

When the Middle East teeters on the brink, commentators reflexively predict a Sino‑Iranian axis taking shape against the West. But that’s a mirage. For all the talk of “strategic partnership” and anti‑American

March 5, 2026

Asia·Middle East·Opinion

1 2 3 … 5 Next

Middle East

Tariffs in Yuan: Is Iran Ringing the Bell on the Petrodollar Age?

The Myth of China’s ‘Neutrality’ on Iran

Blockade Today, Leverage Forever

Is the Strait of Hormuz Truly Open for Business?

China Is Testing the Boundaries of the Iran War

Can’t Say? Or Won’t Say? Is Trump’s Uncertainty a Weapon?

How America Rescues Its Own

Meloni’s Gulf Mission: Pragmatism Over Posturing in a Powder Keg

The Recession Trigger No One Wants to Admit

Why a Desperate Iran May Turn to Terrorism

China and Hormuz: The Vulnerability That Isn’t

No More Iraqs? Here’s an Iran

China’s Iran Strategy: Buy the Oil, Skip the Risk

Latest

Tariffs in Yuan: Is Iran Ringing the Bell on the Petrodollar Age?

Why The U.S. Trusts Pakistan Only When It Has To

Europe’s AI Retreat: Cutting “Red Tape” or Cutting Corners?

The Economics of a Mango Obsession

The Cost of Waiting: Why the Anti–Voter ID Campaign Is Already Behind

France Has a Nuclear Vision. It Also Has a Defense Industry.