Middle East – Geopolits

Bangladesh’s Legal Sovereignty vs. ICC’s Western Strings

January 13, 2025

The ICC’s geopolitical bias not only affects the credibility of its operations but also has diplomatic consequences. Countries with associations to ICC interventions face the risk of diplomatic fallout, affecting their global standing and relationships. For Bangladesh, submitting to ICC scrutiny can have far-reaching effects beyond the courtroom, potentially influencing its trade, aid, and diplomatic engagements.

Perils of Weaponizing Tariffs in Global Trade

December 11, 2024

Perhaps the most significant consequence of these tariffs is their potential to accelerate the decline of the rules-based global economic order. The WTO, already weakened by years of criticism and inaction, faces further marginalization as major economies resort to unilateral measures. This shift erodes the mechanisms that have historically provided stability and predictability in international trade, increasing the risk of disputes escalating into broader economic conflicts. In the absence of a strong multilateral framework, the global economy risks devolving into competing blocs, where power dynamics and economic leverage dictate outcomes.

Another Syrian Quagmire in the Making

December 11, 2024December 11, 2024

Israel, sensing an opportunity in the growing chaos, will likely intensify its military activities in Syria, particularly occupy full of Golan Heights and establish a mighty strategic presence in Syrian battlefield. With Russia and Iran distracted or scaling back their involvement, Israel could press forward with its encroaching strategy, seeing the instability as a chance to further secure its borders and push against Iranian influence. While the US may align with Israel’s goals in curbing Iranian expansion, Israel’s unilateral actions could further complicate the broader regional balance.

Categories: Central Asia / Indo-Pacific regions / Middle East / South Asia

How Ukraine’s Defence Industry Sold Itself Out

October 25, 2024

The full impact of Ukraine’s defence collapse became clear during the Crimean annexation in 2014. With no nuclear deterrent and a military crippled by corruption, Ukraine was in no position to resist. The Battle of Ilovaisk in 2014 was particularly humiliating; many soldiers lacked even basic bulletproof vests, some resorting to buying their own protective gear. Much of Ukraine’s weaponry, like the T-64 tanks and MiG-29 jets, was non-operational, left to rust in storage. This national helplessness starkly exposed the failure to modernize and keep the once-imposing arsenal.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Middle East / Western Europe

Israel’s Double Act of Victimhood and Aggression in the Tragic Theatre of Middle East

October 9, 2024

It’s a masterstroke of manipulation, really. Israel has successfully convinced its Western allies that its survival is intrinsically tied to their own strategic interests in the Middle East. The logic goes: “Save us, and you save yourselves.” The audacity of such a position is breathtaking—Israel, which refuses to end its occupation, and which repeatedly undermines any prospect for a two-state solution, now frames itself as the last bastion of Western civilization in the region. And the Western world, held hostage by the fear of losing influence, buys into this illusion. The United States, in particular, continues to funnel military aid and diplomatic backing to Israel, even as the cost is counted in shattered lives and ruined cities. It’s a deal with the devil, one where the U.S. sacrifices its credibility on the altar of strategic expedience, all the while enabling Israel’s worst excesses.

Categories: America / Indo-Pacific regions / Middle East / Western Europe

Class Warfare is Not Just About Money, It’s About Who Controls the Hashtags

October 4, 2024

This brings us to Karl Marx, who, bless him, thought he had it all figured out with his theory of class conflict. Marx believed history was driven by the antagonism between economic classes—the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. He predicted this would all culminate in revolution when the economic interests of these groups could no longer be reconciled. While Marx deserves credit for highlighting the role of economics in social conflict, he perhaps underestimated the sheer power of cultural forces. It turns out that intellectuals, religious leaders, and media moguls can shape society just as profoundly as any capitalist or factory owner.

Keeping the Peace or Keeping Power? How the UN Stays Relevant by Prolonging Middle East Crises

October 4, 2024

This, of course, is only the latest chapter in the UN’s complicated love-hate relationship with the Middle East. For decades, the organisation has been trying—desperately, it seems—to calm the region’s never-ending conflicts, but with very little to show for it. The Syrian Civil War is still going strong, despite the UN’s best efforts to broker peace talks. In fact, there have been so many special envoys to Syria over the years, it’s hard to keep track of who’s still on the job. And then there’s Yemen, where the UN keeps trying to get the warring sides to come to the table, but all it really seems to be achieving is a high score in sending humanitarian aid to devastated areas.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Middle East / Western Europe

Israel vs. Hezbollah: A Middle Eastern Drama of Missiles, Martyrs, and Muddled Alliances

October 1, 2024

But the real wild card in all this is Iran. So far, Tehran’s reaction to Nasrallah’s assassination has been surprisingly muted. For a regime that usually loves to threaten “severe retaliation” whenever Israel so much as sneezes in their direction, Iran has been oddly quiet. It’s like they’ve been caught off guard and are now trying to figure out their next move. Are they planning a massive revenge attack, or are they just biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Or maybe, just maybe, Iran has realized that a full-scale war with Israel might not be in its best interests, especially with the economy already struggling under the weight of international sanctions.

How Israel Turned Pagers into Weapons of Mass Disruption

September 19, 2024September 19, 2024

But let’s not forget the bigger picture here. As Israel continues to bomb Gaza with impunity, flattening entire neighborhoods under the guise of “precision strikes,” the rest of the world mostly sits by, watching in muted horror. The destruction in Gaza is brutal, indiscriminate, and tragically predictable. Entire families are being wiped out, civilian infrastructure destroyed, and yet, the global community’s outrage is, at best, a flicker. And now, just a few hundred miles north, pagers are blowing up, courtesy of a country that’s mastered the art of victimhood while simultaneously turning the occupied territories into dust.

Categories: Middle East

Hypocrisy in International Relations is the World’s Favorite Double Standards

September 13, 2024September 13, 2024

Countries that pride themselves on being champions of human rights have barely lifted a finger to meaningfully intervene. Thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, which has been left to shoulder the burden of this humanitarian disaster with minimal support from the very countries that love to talk about refugees and justice. Europe, the U.S., and other global powers loudly criticize the atrocities, but conveniently remain silent when it comes to putting real pressure on Myanmar. They’re too busy with trade deals and political maneuvering to actually stand by the principles they so eagerly promote. The Rohingya crisis is a glaring example of how the world’s most powerful nations are willing to let human rights violations slide when it doesn’t suit their interests.