On April 18, 2022 Turkey launched a new ground and air offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. Supported by helicopters and drones, Turkish jets and artillery struck suspected targets of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and then commando troops crossed into the region by land or were airlifted …

The small satellites revolution, or the commercial-led launch of smaller and lower-cost satellites, is impacting space security. This Forward Defense report, authored by nonresident senior fellow Nicholas Eftimiades and produced in partnership with Thales, explores how the US government can leverage small-satellite developments to ensure safe and secure access to …

On February 24, Russia attacked Ukraine, bombarding multiple cities, and killing soldiers and civilians. Russia’s attack plunged Europe into one of its most serious security crises since World War II. As a result, President Joe Biden, European leaders, and other US allies announced severe sanctions, targeting major Russian financial institutions …

In the run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gazprom was already busy setting the stage. Its role was to soften up the European Union (EU) by keeping natural supplies low and prices high in advance of the conflict. Moscow wanted to keep the Europeans vulnerable and therefore less likely to …

Two months into the “special military operation” against Ukraine, accompanied by the most comprehensive barrage of sanctions ever leveled against any country, Russian life, at least around Moscow, looks shockingly normal.

In late April, three Chinese nationals were killed in Karachi, Pakistan, in a suicide attack claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). As China’s economic, political, and security inroads in Pakistan have increased, the BLA has also deliberately …

Saudi Arabia’s dialogue with Iran reflects the Kingdom’s uncertainty about the U.S. role in ensuring the security of the Persian Gulf. Talks between the two traditional adversaries have made progress on relatively manageable issues, including the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. U.S. officials are hoping that the talks could advance a political …

Clashes on Afghanistan’s border with both Pakistan and Iran signify an end to the relative wary regional calm that has prevailed since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. Pakistan perceives that the Taliban de facto authorities of Afghanistan are sympathetic to Pakistani militants that threaten Pakistan’s stability. Any tensions …

The Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor (PMC) that has been active from Syria to Ukraine, has continued to branch out globally, deploying troops to numerous countries in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Russia uses the Wagner Group in Africa to help achieve its foreign policy objectives and gain access …

As the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip compete to develop new advanced weapons, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing announced for the first time a new drone capable of carrying small-sized missiles. As part of their ongoing military preparations and less than a year after the Israeli war on the …