South East Asia

This [spy balloon’s eight-day flight] path certainly suggests China is gathering intelligence for either a first or second strike on America’s nukes. Combined with the green lasers collecting atmospheric data useful for a strike by a hypersonic glide vehicle on Hawaii, American defense planners should be alarmed. The real story …

The U.S. tracked a China spy balloon from launch on Hainan Island along an unusual path The large Chinese surveillance device that flew across Alaska and the continental United States may have been diverted on an errant path caused by atypical weather conditions By the time a Chinese spy balloon …

There are many things wrong about Austin’s attempts to communicate with Wei. As an initial matter, Wei’s rank is far below Austin’s. Our defense secretary should insist, when he talks, to talk to the people in charge. Americans are big on “dialogue.” They believe as an article of faith, that …

The sanctions targeted nine entities the Treasury Department said were involved in producing, shipping and selling Iranian petrochemical and petroleum. The US Treasury Department on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil and petrochemical industry as the administration shifts its focus away from reviving the landmark nuclear deal. The Treasury’s …

Despite growing Western alarm over the Islamic Republic’s drone shipments to Russia, the Iranian official said 90 countries were “queuing up” for purchases of the same products. A senior Iran Intelligence Ministry official said China was among 90 countries “queuing up” to buy Iran-made drones, according to a report by …

Beijing’s Development Aid Plan Is Less Flashy—but No Less Ambitious In the decade since Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s huge infrastructure and investment program has become a defining part of its foreign policy. In the BRI’s early years, dozens of emerging economies in Africa, …

India has disregarded pressure imposed by western nations, and continues to engage in trade and energy cooperation with Russia Indian oil refiners have started purchasing the majority of their Russian oil via UAE-based traders using dirhams, the Gulf state’s currency, instead of the US dollar, a number of informed sources …

Several Central Asian states are attempting to realign their energy routes and usage in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising domestic demand. Moscow and Tehran both possess the willingness and ability to disrupt or threaten Central Asian energy export routes. China is a major market for Central Asian …

The Pentagon on Friday rejected China’s claim a balloon floating above the central United States was a Chinese civilian weather research craft, though the Defense Department said the airship posed no threat to Americans on the ground. “The fact is we know that it’s a surveillance balloon,” Air Force Brig. …

IRAN The government confirmed a drone attack Sunday on what it described as a defence ministry workshop in Isfahan. There were no reported injuries, and officials said the damage was minimal. In a subsequent letter to the UN Security Council, the foreign ministry pinned responsibility on Israel, whose role has …