Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Has Been Planned For Years
In the wake of this weekend’s failed negotiations in Islamabad, the Iran conflict is back on. So, too, are the Trump administration’s efforts to bring the Islamic Republic to heel.
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Insecurity Is A Key Lesson Of The Iran War
After the failed negotiations this weekend in Islamabad and the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, the conflict appears poised to resume. Yet Washington heads into the next phase with a clearer understanding of the stakes because the past six-plus weeks have offered a stark lesson about the insecurity of global energy and the vulnerability of maritime choke points.
China Policy Monitor No. 1673
China surpasses U.S. in leadership approval;
Xi calls for "new energy system" as Iran war rolls markets;
Taipei warns of tech poaching and military infiltration;
PLA surges naval presence near Taiwan;
Beijing signals partial rapprochement following KMT visit
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2724
A setback for Moscow in Budapest;
Moscow boosts Iranian strikes;
A budget blowout;
The Kremlin targets another rights group
China Policy Monitor No. 1672
China expands its nuclear weapons infrastructure;
With Beijing's help, U.S. indicts Shandong firms for fentanyl;
"Teapot" refineries buffer China from oil price spikes;
Beijing bans "bone ash apartments";
Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks take place in Xinjiang
Will the Iran War Trip up TRIPP?
The Iran War has temporarily disrupted Caucasus-Central Asia connectivity. The United States must reassure the region that it still wishes to engage with its development.
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2723
Oil shipment refocuses attention on Russian spy hub;
Moscow's energy windfall illusion;
The Kremlin's hybrid war continues;
Russo-Iranian nuke ties hit by new war
Zelensky Ties Ukraine To Broader Effort Against Iran’s Axis
Ukraine is demonstrating, both in word and in deed, that it can help shape the shared fight against today’s revisionist axis. Here’s hoping that the Trump administration takes notice.
China Policy Monitor No. 1671
PRC hackers suspected in breach of FBI surveillance network;
PLA-linked universities bypass U.S. export controls to buy AI chips;
China expands Panama-flagged ship inspections amid canal row;
Amid spiking oil prices, Beijing intervenes to suppress fuel costs;
Surging feed costs hit China's pig farmers
Africa Political Monitor No. 63
Iran war impacts stability in Africa;
What does "America First" look like in Africa?;
New U.S. sanctions target Rwanda;
Israel eyes Somaliland base
Defense Technology Monitor No. 117
Quantum calculation shortcuts for all;
Holographic 3D printing for chips;
Sunscreen for satellites;
Quantum coordination without communication;
The emergence of "brainbots"
Israel’s India Opportunity
Although it has since been overshadowed by the new Gulf war, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to Israel – complete with a historic address to the Knesset – speaks volumes about how New Delhi sees the Jewish state, and how one of Israel’s most promising bilateral partnerships might progress.
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2722
Russia's demographic crisis gets deeper;
The Kremlin expands its digital crackdown;
Moscow eyes Afghan labor;
The Kremlin rewrites Russian history
Iran Democracy Monitor No. 250
Iraq and the Iran war;
The regime clamps down on Starlink...;
...While platforming its own proponents;
Iran's outsourced intel
Information Warfare Watch No. 53
TikTok disinfo targets Poland;
Euronews faces fresh scrutiny;
Moscow moves to centralize control over nationwide communications;
Turkey moves toward tighter social media rules for minors
Kyiv Is Learning To Fight Without China
Over the past four years of war, the government of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv has been engaging in a delicate balancing act. Western aid – including from the United States – represents a vital lifeline that has enabled Ukraine to successfully battle back against Russian aggression. That support, however, has required careful alignment with Washington and other Western capitals on an array of issues. This, in turn, has meant Kyiv has had to wrestle with just how much it should cooperate with China.
Iran Democracy Monitor No. 249
The regime clamps down at home;
Israel seeks to prevent Russian resupply...;
...As wary neighbors take sides
China Policy Monitor No. 1670
China launches fentanyl raids ahead of planned Trump visit;
Executives arrested for smuggling $2.5B in AI chips into China;
Beijing restricts "red-chip" IPOs amid capital flight concerns;
China unlikely to invade Taiwan in 2027, American intelligence says;
Property sector woes continue as prices hit eight-month low
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2721
Russia's crumbling state;
Russia shares intel with Iran...;
...As Iranian drones head in the other direction;
Network of "disposable agents" conducts sabotage in Europe;
FSB expands elite protection
The Inevitability of Chinese Military Purges
The scale of Secretary General Xi Jinping’s military purges is shocking. More than 100 senior leaders have been removed since 2022. And that number keeps growing, with nine military officers purged just last week and three more retired generals removed from a senior advisory body in early March.
The Third Act of Epic Fury: Why the War of Attrition Against Iran Now Favors America
As of late March 2026, the strategic landscape of Operation Epic Fury has shifted from a high-intensity “shock” campaign to a calculated war of attrition. According to Brig. Gen. (res) Eran Ortal, the conflict has entered a decisive third phase where the combined industrial and logistical weight of the United States, Israel, and the Gulf states is systematically dismantling the Iranian regime’s ability to project power.
Uzbekistan Tourism: The Quality Imperative
This article examines how Uzbekistan can strengthen its economic security by leveraging its extraordinary cultural heritage and strategic positioning to transition from a volume-driven tourism model towards more of a value-driven approach.
The US Still Needs an Iran War Strategy
The US’ tactical successes against Iran would have a greater effect if they served broader objectives.
Global Islamism Monitor No. 139
Syria's turmoil draws alarm...;
...And regional nations strategize;
...And ISIS regroups in Africa;
Cairo takes fresh aim at the MB
Resource Security Watch No. 64
Africa's solar sector surges forward;
A new caucasian trade corridor takes shape;
A mounting Afghan food crisis;
A stockpile to counter China's mineral dominance;
A new role for agriculture in national defense
What’s Really Driving The Strategy Behind Trump’s War On Iran
With the Iran war in its third week, questions are swirling over the administration's aims, its conduct of the conflict and the trajectory that Iran itself might take.
An American Return To The Western Hemisphere
In the early morning hours of January 3, 2026, the Trump Administration launched "Absolute Resolve," a military operation to apprehend Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and remove him from office. The effort marked the most consequential U.S. intervention in Latin America in decades, involving large-scale coordinated intelligence, air and special operations assets.
China Policy Monitor No. 1669
Antisemitism with Chinese characteristics;
CCP defector details his repression of religious minorities;
New ethnic unity law promotes assimilation, mandates Mandarin;
CK Hutchison escalates lawfare after Panama seizes ports;
Australian businessman convicted of working for MSS
Defense Technology Monitor No. 116
Laser links at sea;
China deploys subsea computing;
The Pentagon is testing cyber defense in orbit...;
...While developing jamming weapons;
The drone-ification of the Black Hawk
Ukraine Reform Monitor No. 21
Legislative graft... and an old face;
Kyiv seeks European markets for its defense tech;
...As Kyiv looks beyond China for drone production
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2720
Moscow weighs its options in the Arctic;
Teen labor fuels Russia's drone production;
Kremlin documents reveal the human cost of the war;
Russia's shrinking arms trade
How Ukraine Can Help the Iran War Effort
Iran is pounding U.S. military positions across the Middle East with missiles and cheap but highly effective drones, killing U.S. troops and wreaking havoc across the Persian Gulf. The cost to the U.S. of its defensive systems far exceeds the cost of Iran’s drones, and America and its regional partners are burning through their air defenses.
Space Force Needs a Strategic Plan
Big changes are coming to America’s space forces.
What to Watch for Next in the Iran War
The United States has proved its military superiority over Iran. Whether it can secure Iran’s enriched uranium, protect the Gulf states, and encourage popular protests is a different story.
Why African Leaders Are Beginning to Speak Out Against Russia
Russia’s military manpower shortage has led it to entice over 1,400 people from across the African continent to fight in Ukraine.
An Early Blueprint Of America’s New War
America's newest military campaign in the Middle East is now in its second week.
Indo-Pacific Monitor No. 53
China steps toward semiconductor supremacy;
Seoul searching for mineral alliances with Brazil;
Japan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan;
Pakistan declares open war as cross-border strikes escalate;
Hormuz hinders trade across Asia
Digital Iron Curtain: How Chinese Jamming Tech Is Killing Iran’s Starlink Lifeline In 2026
As the Islamic Republic weathers U.S. and Israeli missile strikes on its infrastructure and the killing of key political figures, China remains on the sidelines
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2719
Moscow's divisive recruitment practices;
Russia's real estate espionage;
Russia moves to bolster Budapest
China Policy Monitor 1668
Chinese hackers targeting Google sheets;
China offers to mediate in Pakistan-Afghanistan clash;
Chinese port operator evicted from Panama Canal;
More military purges ahead of NPC;
DOJ drops charges against Chinese scientists
Defense Technology Monitor No. 115
AI enables next-gen terror recruitment;
X-37B mission tests laser comms and GPS-free navigation;
Pentagon test next-generation GPS satellite;
AI you can trust;
Agroterror threat enters U.S. lab
Through Iran, Trump Is Testing The Authoritarian Axis
Ever since the Trump administration returned to office last year, a major foreign policy debate has raged inside the Washington Beltway.
Europe’s Iran stance is a strategic error that hurts its US alliance
Wiser leaders would stop picking fights with Washington over a war they can’t influence and that ultimately advances their own security
Divergent Paths in the South Caucasus: Strategy, Survival, Retreat
The three South Caucasus states are responding to the same geopolitical shock with radically different resources, constraints, and choices.
Russia Policy Monitor No. 2718
Moscow weaves a web of influence;
...With unlikely operatives;
Russia's cash-fueled recruitment;
A cause of death in the Navalny case, finally
China Policy Monitor No. 1667
Beijing warns citizens against Russian military conscription;
China hikes fiber optic prices for Russian defense sector;
China's births hit record low, population decline accelerates;
EU bars China from critical technology research grants;
Amid "China shock," German Chancellor Merz visits Beijing
China Policy Monitor No. 1666
IMF blames Beijing for global "external imbalances";
China snaps up discounted Russian, Saudi crude;
Poland bans Chinese-made vehicles from military sites;
CK Hutchison threatens suit against Maersk over Panama ports;
PRC expands visa-free entry
The Dollars And Cents Of Military Action Against Iran
Are we headed toward a new war with Iran? The possibility looks increasingly likely.
Putin’s War Is Getting More Expensive. That’s Good News
President Donald Trump has now set out a June deadline for the end of the war, and the White House expects Moscow and Kyiv to reach some sort of settlement. The operative question is whether Russia’s economic calculus can truly be changed by then.
Africa Political Monitor No. 62
Nigeria works to mend fences with Washington;
Attack on Niger airport highlights growing extremist threats in Sahel;
Kenya's government accuses Russia of illegal recruitment;
DRC to expand critical mineral supplies to U.S. and UAE;
Sudanese paramilitary training camp identified in Ethiopia