February, 2026

• 14 February

  India and the South Caucasus

  

  The South Caucasus – comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – is a small but geopolitically significant region, susceptible to intense competition between regional and global powers. It is also situated at a strategic crossroads between Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which was followed by …

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• 14 February

  Israel-India-UAE-Ethiopia: A New Red Sea Axis?

  

  Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has realigned the Horn of Africa, linking India, Israel, the UAE, and Ethiopia to secure Red Sea routes and counter rivals. On 26 December 2025, Israel formally recognized what it termed the Republic of Somaliland, marking a significant shift in its policy toward the Horn of …

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• 14 February

  Zangezur corridor: 74% of TRIPP’s shares will be owned by the US, and 26% by Armenia

  

  Straddling the narrow land bridge between West Asia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, Armenia has long functioned as more than a small, landlocked state. The southern province of Syunik forms the only direct connection between Iran and the north, while also sitting on the fault line between Turkish, Azerbaijani, Russian, …

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• 14 February

  Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war

  

  The éminence grise of Iran’s foreign and security policy strategy and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani was received by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq to review the latest developments in the US-Iran negotiations and discuss ways to reach a ‘balanced and fair’ agreement, Muscat, Feb 10, …

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• 13 February

  Xi Jinping’s Military Purges Leave Him Increasingly Powerful but Isolated

  

  Key Takeaway: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has expanded his military purges to include two of the seniormost officers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Xi may have purged them because he saw them as undermining his leadership and military objectives. The continued purges have reduced the …

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• 13 February

  Syria Insight: The long road ahead to a new post-Assad future

  

  Syrians are looking ahead to the next stage in the country’s development, with governance and democracy crunch issues that could determine Syria’s future. How do you govern a country you never expected to rule? That is the question now facing Syria’s transitional government, as it seeks to undo half a …

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• 13 February

  Report: Five attempts to assassinate Sharia thwarted

  

  The Washington Post quoted a United Nations report that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Interior Minister Anas Khattab, and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani were the targets of five assassination attempts that were thwarted over the past year. According to the newspaper, Thursday, February 12, the information was based on a report …

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• 12 February

  Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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• 12 February

  Welcome to the ‘EUSSR’: Unpopular European Regimes Grasping for Power Crack Down on Dissent

  So, if you are an unpopular regime desperately clinging to power, what do you do? In supposed democracies, this latest “benefit ” to your people – cracking down on dissent “democratically” — means using technology rather than firepower to crush freedom of speech. “Danger: Governments will dictate what you see, …

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• 12 February

  The Damascus–SDF Agreement Enters into Force Tomorrow, as Interpretations Diverge

  

  Amid ambiguity and the absence of a clear institutional framework, implementation of the agreement signed between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is set to begin tomorrow, Monday, February 2. Although the start of procedural steps has been announced, the past hours have seen an escalation in …

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