The city of Xi’an was once famed as the birthplace of the Silk Road, the tortuous trade route along which caravans bore textiles, jade and other luxury products to Persia, Egypt and Europe for more than 1,500 years. Just outside the city lies another ancient marker of its erstwhile wealth …

Over the past few years, Iran has been increasingly exerting its influence in the Middle East, particularly on Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. How real is Iran’s influence? After the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the commander of the …

In a Labour Party Election Broadcast on April 16th, 2024, Sir Keir Starmer highlighted how his working-class background influences his approach to politics. In a BBC interview on May 27th, 2024, Sir Starmer reinforced his working-class roots and promised to serve the interests of the working people in Britain. He …

The Republic of Kosovo and Southeast Europe, as an exposed region partially absorbed by current loyalists of Russian Intelligence Services, that are severely affecting regional security, have acquired a rapidly ascending geopolitical importance within the structures of the U. S. Intelligence Community and NATO Alliance. On August 22 – 23, …

With Russian influence in decline and its army weakened by defeats in Ukraine, it is an opportune time for the next US president to de-colonize Eurasia and ending the Kremlin’s long held dream of rebuilding an empire. In 1991 and today, Russia’s dream of empire is being destroyed in Ukraine. …

Zhao Dingqi: During the Cold War, how did the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conduct the “Cultural Cold War”? What activities did the CIA’s Congress for Cultural Freedom carry out, and what impact did it have? Gabriel Rockhill: The CIA undertook, along with other state agencies and the foundations of …

Geopolitics is an approach to politics that stresses the features imposed on foreign policy by geographical location, environment, and natural resources. Geopolitics as a discipline contributes to the emphasis on continuity in contemporary political realism. The focal idea of geopolitics is that those who control the Eurasian landmass (Heartland) dominate …

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the country’s parliament on August 25 that initiatives to revive relations with Turkey had not yielded “any results worth mentioning despite the seriousness and genuine keenness of mediators.” This declaration comes after both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Assad signaled that they were interested …

Efforts to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law are another attempt to create a parallel authority to that of the state. Controversial efforts in Iraq today to change the country’s personal status law and give more power to the religious sects reflects the growing institutionalization of sectarianism as the basis …

Volodymyr Zelensky’s Western allies have worried that the surprise, cross-border attack will provoke Vladimir Putin to escalate. Less than a month ago, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, overwhelming Russian border defenses and taking hundreds of soldiers captive. The move has boosted Ukrainian spirits during a year …