SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In the strategic geography of the global economy, certain regions attain such significance that they effectively become determining factors of the international order. The Strait of Hormuz is among these points; a narrow yet vital passage through which a considerable portion of the world’s energy transits, and whose stability is directly intertwined with the interests and economic security of many countries. However, the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is not limited solely to the volume of energy passing through it. This strait is also a stage upon which the limitations and challenges of great power politics are revealed. From China’s perspective, the policy of the United States regarding the security of this strategic chokepoint, rather than reflecting a stable order, demonstrates a set of contradictions and strategic difficulties that Washington faces in managing the regional order.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Despite the rivalries and the negative, hostile relations between the United States and Iran over the past nearly five decades, the past year was the most tense period in relations between the two countries.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The Southern Transitional Council’s field activities in eastern Yemen are part of the UAE’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance in the region.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent trip of the Saudi Crown Prince to America was a targeted effort to solidify the strategic partnership with Washington, reduce political uncertainties, and strengthen Riyadh’s political role-playing.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs analyst said: The issue of selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not merely a military case, but rather part of a regional engineering that Washington is trying to advance.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional security researcher said: If the security of the Persian Gulf becomes an area of cooperation among governments, many political and security misunderstandings will also be eliminated.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An Egyptian affairs expert stated that Cairo has recently established a direct role in mediating the reduction of regional tensions, as well as in reducing or managing tensions between Iran and the West and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: The crisis of legitimacy of the Israeli regime, both internationally and domestically, has become one of its main challenges during the two years of relentless crime in Gaza. The Zionist regime, once considered a strategic ally of the West and particularly the United States, has now clearly lost its legitimacy due to committing unprecedented massacres, escalating settlement activities, and racist behavior. This trend has led Arab and Islamic countries, and even some former allies, to view the Zionist regime as the leading cause of regional instability and to level widespread criticism against its policies.
Online Strategic Council – Interview: A senior West Asia affairs analyst stated that recent developments in West Asia indicate that the region’s security equations have entered a new stage. The Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar, as a security shock, has made the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf aware of new vulnerabilities and forced them to reconsider their defense strategies. Now, relying on American security guarantees no longer seems sufficient, because emerging regional threats have become more complex and multi-layered than in the past. In this context, Pakistan, with its special position as the only atomic power in the Islamic world, has quickly found a strategic place in the security calculations of the Arab countries. The signing of the strategic defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, followed by a military cooperation meeting between Bahrain and Pakistan in Manama, indicates an increasing trend in security convergence. These cooperations are defined not only to strengthen joint deterrence and counter potential threats, especially from the Israeli regime, but also indicate a shift in the balance of power in the region. Pakistan’s entry into the West Asian equations could have broader implications; on the one hand, it could reduce America’s monopoly on providing regional security, and on the other hand, it could create new axes of cooperation among Islamic powers. Thus, by moving closer to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are seeking to develop an indigenous defense shield which, in addition to guaranteeing their own security, sends a clear message to regional rivals: the power equations are being rewritten and new actors have entered the scene.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.