FOCUS | THEMATIC | IRAN
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Special Commentary
The War in West Asia: A Stress Test for India’s Multi-alignment?
Muneer Ahmed. · 12 Jun, 2026 · #5909 · Commentary
The ongoing US-Israel war on Iran has created one of the most stressful diplomatic scenarios India has dealt with in West Asia. Among others, it complicates India’s two most vital yet parallel relationships with the US and Russia. India is simultan ...
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Strategic Space
Will Obliterating Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Ignite Nuclear Ambitions Elsewhere?
Manpreet Sethi. · 31 Mar, 2026 · #5907 · Commentary
The Israeli Air Force claimed that it had dropped over 12,000 bombs in 8,500 strikes on Iranian targets in the first 18 days of the ongoing war. Another three weeks have passed since then, with a lot more damage. The US used advanced ‘bunker buster ...
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Strategic Space
Counter-Proliferation Sans Diplomacy won’t Lead to Non-Proliferation Success in Iran
Manpreet Sethi. · 30 Jul, 2025 · #5892 · Commentary
Counter-proliferation, or state-sanctioned use of force such as military strikes, cyber-strikes, electronic warfare, assassinations, or sabotage against nuclear facilities or personnel, has been undertaken a few times in the past as a way of ensuring ...
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Defining Trends from a Year of Conflict in West Asia
Muneer Ahmed. · 17 Jan, 2025 · #5884 · Commentary
Since October 2023, violence in West Asia, particularly between Israel and factions in Gaza and Lebanon, has seen substantial escalation. This conflict has significantly reshaped the region, impacting not only military strategies but also diplomatic ...
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Out of the Shadows: How Israel and Iran Benefit from Escalation
Muneer Ahmed & Siddharth Anil Nair. · 29 Apr, 2024 · #5876 · Commentary
While the spectre of inter-state conflict has loomed large over West Asia these past few months, it appears now to be at a defining moment. The international crisis—spanning three continents—triggered by Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to ...
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Tiers of Motivation: Bilateral and Regional Drivers of the Iran-Pakistan Missile Strikes
Muneer Ahmed. · 30 Jan, 2024 · #5868 · Commentary
On 16 January, Iran launched highly
coordinated precision strikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan, while Pakistan retaliated on 18
January, after protesting diplomatically. These strikes were conducted across Goldsmid
line, which demarcates Pakistan ...
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Will Iran Leave the NPT?
Shivani Singh. · 17 Jun, 2021 · #5771 · Commentary
There is a
growing optimism around reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
in the five rounds of talks held in Vienna so far.
However, Iran has insisted that it will restrict the International Atomic
Energy Agency’s (IAEA) monit ...
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A 25-Year Pact with China: Iranian Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
Majid Izadpanahi. · 30 Apr, 2021 · #5765 · Commentary
On 27 March, China’s Foreign Minister and
State Councillor, Wang Yi, and Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif,
signed the Iran-China 25-year Cooperation Programme during the former’s visit
to Iran. This article gives an overview of the ...
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Explainer: Washington’s Move to Trigger UN Sanctions Against Iran
Sanaa Alvira. · 29 Sep, 2020 · #5729 · Commentary
On
20 August, the US officially submitted a notification to the UN
Security Council (UNSC) that triggered a 30-day countdown to reimpose UN
sanctions on Iran. It cited significant violations of the Iran nuclear deal,
formally known as the Joint C ...
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COVID-19 in Iran: The Impact of Sanctions
Sanaa Alvira. · 04 Sep, 2020 · #5720 · Commentary
The US reinstated sanctions
against Iran in November 2018, after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
The imposition of new sanctions under the Trump administration’s “maximum
pressure” campaign has left the Iranian economy reeling. They ...
